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DEDICATED 

TO MY KIND FRIENDS 

MISS MACKIE AND MISS MASTERS 

IN WHOSE SCHOOLS MY LECTURES WERE FIRST GIVEN 




(2) 



HOMER.— Francois Gerard. 



MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME 



NARRATED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 
LITERATURE AND ART 



BY 

H. A. GUERBER 

LECTURER ON MYTHOLOGY 




AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO 






%\ 






Copyright, 1893, by 
American Book Company. 

Guerber's Myths. 

E-P 30 

GiFT 
MiSS UfTlTlA THOMAS 



PREFACE. 



THE aim of this book is to present a complete and entertain- 
ing account of Grecian and Roman mythology in such a 
manner that the student will appreciate its great influence upon 
literature and art. 

These myths, an inexhaustible fund of inspiration for the poets 
and artists of the past, have also inspired many noted modern 
works. To impress this fact forcibly upon the student, appropri- 
ate quotations from the poetical writings of all ages, from Hesiod's 
" Works and Days," to Tennyson's " GEnone," have been inserted 
in the text, while reproductions of ancient masterpieces and 
noted examples of modern painting and sculpture are plentifully 
used as illustrations. 

The myths are told as graphically and accurately as possible, 
great care being taken, however, to avoid the more repulsive 
features of heathen mythology ; and when two or more versions 
of the same myth occur, the preference has invariably been given 
to the most popular, that is to say, to the one which has inspired 
the greatest works. 

Both the Latin and the Greek forms of proper names are given, 
but the Latin names are usually retained throughout the narrative, 
because more frequently used in poetry and art. 

5 



I 

6 PREFACE. 

The closing chapter includes an analysis of myths by the light 
of philology and comparative mythology, and the philological 
explanation of the stories related in the preceding chapters. 

A map, genealogical table, and complete glossary and index 
adapt this little volume for constant use in the library and art 
gallery, at home and abroad. 



CONTENTS. 



MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF MYTHS 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . 
CHAP. I. The Beginning of All Things 
II. Jupiter 



III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 



Juno 

Minerva . 
Apollo . 
Diana. 
Venus . 
Mercury . 
Mars 
Vulcan 
XL Neptune 
XII. Pluto. 

XIII. Bacchus 

XIV. Ceres and Proserpina 
XV. Vesta .... 

Janus .... 

Somnus and Mors 

^Eolus 

Hercules 

Perseus 

Theseus 

Jason .... 

The Calydonian Hunt 

GEdipus 

Bellerophon 

Minor Divinities 

The Trojan War 

Adventures of Ulysses 
XXIX. Adventures of ^Eneas 
XXX. Analysis of Myths . 
GENEALOGICAL TABLE . 
INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS 
GLOSSARY AND INDEX . 

7 



XVI. 

XVII. 

XVI IL 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Homer 2 

Amor 14 

Fountain of Cybele (Rhea) .... 19 

Minerva and Prometheus 26 

Pandora 30 

Hope 34 

Olympian Zeus 40 

Ganymede and the Eagle ...... 42 

The Abduction of Europa 46 

Juno 50 

Iri s- 53 

Minerva 56 

Apollo Belvedere 66 

Apollo and Daphne 69 

Orpheus and Eurydice 78 

Farnese Bull 81 

Aurora 86 

Apollo and the Muses 89 

Diana of Versailles 92 

Niobe 95 

Venus de Milo 102 

Fourth Hour of the Night 104 

Sleeping Love 109 

Hero and Leander 115 

Cupid awakening Psyche 125 

Charon and Psyche 129 

Flying Mercury 133 

Venus de Milo and Mars . 141 

The Forge of Vulcan 146 

Fountain of Neptune 150 

Father Nile 157 

The Furies 162 

The Three Fates . 164 

Bacchus 1 75 

Marriage of Bacchus and Ariadne 180 

Abduction of Proserpina 185 

Ceres 189 



A Nymph • 191 

School of the Vestal Virgins .... 19c 

The Vestal Tuccia 201 

Genius of Death . . . : 209 

Hercules an Infant 217 

Hercules and Centaur 222 

Mounted Amazon going to the 

Chase 225 

Hercules at the Feet of Omphale, 231 

Fortuna 233 

Farnese Hercules 237 

Perseus . 245 

Perseus and Andromeda 247 

Daedalus and Icarus 254 

Ariadne 258 

Theseus 261 

Jason and the Dragon 270 

Medea . . 272 

Atalanta's Race 277 

CEdipus and the Sphinx 284 

Antigone and Ismene 289 

Chimaera . ." .... 293 

Vertumnus and Pomona 302 

Paris 309 

Abduction of Helen 313 

Parting of Hector and Androm- 
ache 322 

Thetis bearing the Armor of 

Achilles 327 

Laocoon 334 

Triumph of Galatea 340 

Acis and Galatea (Evening) . . . 342 
Circe and the Friends of Ulysses, 348 

Siren 351 

Penelope 356 

./Eneas at the Court of Dido .... 368 
Cumaean Sibyl .... 371 



MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 

MYTHOLOGY is the science which treats of the early tradi- 
tions, or myths, relating to the religion of the ancients, and 
includes, besides a full account of the origin of their gods, their 
theory concerning the beginning of all things. 

Among all the nations scattered over the face of the earth, the 
Hebrews alone were instructed by God, who gave them not only 
a full account of the creation of the world and of Myths of 
all living creatures, but- also a code of laws to reg- creation, 
ulate their conduct. All the questions they fain would ask were 
fully answered, and no room remained for conjecture. 

It was not so, however, with the other nations. The Greeks 
and Romans, for instance, lacking the definite knowledge which 
we obtain from the Scriptures, and still anxious to know every- 
thing, were forced to construct, in part, their own theory. As they 
looked about them for some clue to serve as guide, they could 
not help but observe and admire the wonders of nature. The suc- 
cession of day and night, summer and winter, rain and sunshine ; 



12 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the fact that the tallest trees sprang from tiny seeds, the greatest 
rivers from diminutive streams, and the most beautiful flowers 
and delicious fruits from small green buds, — all seemed to tell 
them of a superior Being, who had fashioned them to serve a 
definite purpose. 

They soon came to the conclusion that a hand mighty enough 
to call all these wonders into life, could also have created the 
beautiful Earth whereon they dwelt. These thoughts gave rise 
to others ; suppositions became certainties ; and soon the fol- 
lowing myth or fable was evolved, to be handed down from 
generation to generation. 

At first, when all things lay in a great confused mass, — 

"Ere earth, and sea, and covering heavens, were known, 
The face of nature, o'er the world, was one ; 
And men have call'd it Chaos ; formless, rude, 
The mass; dead matter's weight, inert, and crude; 
Where, in mix'd heap of ill-compounded mold, 
The jarring seeds of things confusedly roll'd." 

Ovid (Elton's tr.). 

The Earth did not exist. Land, sea, and air were mixed up 
together ; so that the earth was not solid, the sea was not fluid, 
nor the air transparent. 

"No sun yet beam'd from yon cerulean height; 
No orbing moon repair'd her horns of light; 
No earth, self-poised, on liquid ether hung; 
No sea its world-enclasping waters flung; 
Earth was half air, half sea, an embryo heap; 
Nor earth was fix'd, nor fluid was the deep ; 
Dark was the void of air ; no form was traced ; 
Obstructing atoms struggled through the waste; 
•Where cold, and hot, and moist, and dry rebell'd ; 
Heavy the light, and hard the soft repell'd." 

Ovid (Elton's tr.). 

Over this shapeless mass reigned a careless deity called Chaos, 
whose personal appearance could not be described, as there was 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 13 

no light by which he could be seen. He shared his throne 
with his wife, the dark goddess of Night, named chaos and 
Nyx or Nox, whose black robes, and still blacker Nyx * 

countenance, did not tend to enliven the surrounding gloom. 

These two divinities wearied of their power in the course of 
time, and called their son Erebus (Darkness) to their assistance. 
His first act was to dethrone and supplant Chaos ; Erebus, iEther, 
and then, thinking he would be happier with a and Hemera « 
helpmeet, he married his own mother, Nyx. Of course, with 
our present views, this marriage was a heinous sin ; but the an- 
cients, who at first had no fixed laws, did not consider this union 
unsuitable, and recounted how Erebus and Nyx ruled over the 
chaotic world together, until their two beautiful children, yEther 
(Light) and Hemera (Day), acting in concert, dethroned them, 
and seized the supreme power. 

Space, illumined for the first time by their radiance, revealed 
itself in all its uncouthness. ^Ether and Hemera carefully ex- 
amined the confusion, saw its innumerable possi- creation of Geea 
bilities, and decided to evolve from it a " thing of and Uranus - 
beauty ; " but quite conscious of the magnitude of such an under- 
taking, and feeling that some assistance would be desirable, they 
summoned Eros (Amor or Love), their own child, to their aid. 
By their combined efforts, Pontus (the Sea) and Gaea (Ge, Tel- 
lus, Terra), as the Earth was first called, were created. 

In the beginning the Earth did not present the beautiful ap- 
pearance that it does now. No trees waved their leafy branches 
on the hillsides ; no flowers bloomed in the valleys ; no grass 
grew on the plains ; no birds flew through the air. All was silent, 
bare, and motionless. Eros, the first to perceive these deficien- 
cies, seized his life-giving arrows and pierced the cold bosom 
of the Earth. Immediately the brown surface was covered with 
luxuriant verdure ; birds of many colors flitted through the foli- 
age of the new-born forest trees ; animals of all kinds gamboled 
over the grassy plains ; and swift-darting fishes swam in the lim- 
pid streams. All was now life, joy, and motion. 





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AMOR.— Martin. 



THE BEGINNING OF A LI THINGS. 15. 

Gaea, roused from her apathy, admired all that had already 
been done for her embellishment, and, resolving to crown and 
complete the work so well begun, created Uranus (Heaven). 

"Her first-born Earth produc'd, 
Of like immensity, the starry Heaven: 
That he might sheltering compass her around 
On every side." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

This version of the creation of the world, although but one 
of the many current with the Greeks and Romans, was the one 
most generally adopted ; but another, also very 

i j 1 i_ -£ j- • • • ^ 'i_ j The egg myth. 

popular, stated that the first divinities, Erebus and 

Nyx, produced a gigantic egg, from which Eros, the god of love, 

emerged to create the Earth. 

" In the dreary chaotical closet 
Of Erebus old, was a privy deposit, 
By Night the primaeval in secrecy laid ; 
A Mystical Egg, that in silence and shade 
Was brooded and hatched; till time came about: 
And Love, the delightful, in glory flew out." 

Aristophanes (Frere's tr.). 

The Earth thus created was supposed by the ancients to be 
a disk, instead of a sphere as science has proved. The Greeks 
fancied that their country occupied a central posi- 

J Mount Olympus 

tion, and that Mount Olympus, a very high moun- and the river 
tain, the mythological abode of their gods, was 
placed in the exact center. Their Earth was divided into two 
equal parts by Pontiis. (the Sea, — equivalent to our Mediter- 
ranean and Black Seas) ; and all around it flowed the great 
river Oceanus in a "steady, equable current," undisturbed by 
storm, from which the Sea and all the rivers were supposed to 
derive their waters. 

The Greeks also imagined that the portion of the Earth directly 
north of their country was inhabited by a fortunate race of men, 



1 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the Hyperboreans, who dwelt in continual bliss, and enjoyed a 
never-ending springtide. Their homes were said to be " inacces- 
The Hyperbo- s^le by land or by sea." They were " exempt 
reans. from disease, old age, and death," and were so 

virtuous that the gods frequently visited them, and even conde- 
scended to share their feasts and games. A people thus favored 
could not fail to be happy, and many were the songs in praise of 
their sunny land. 

" I come from a land in the sun-bright deep, 
Where golden gardens grow ; 
Where the winds of the north, becalm'd in sleep, 
Their conch shells never blow. 

" So near the track of the stars are we, 
That oft, on night's pale beams, 
The distant sounds of their harmony 
Come to our ears, like dreams. 

" The Moon, too, brings her world so nigh, 
That when the night-seer looks 
To that shadowless orb, in a vernal sky, 
He can number its hills and brooks. 

" To the Sun god all our hearts and lyres 

By day, by night, belong ; 

And the breath we draw from his living fires 

We give him back in song." 

Moore. 

South of Greece, also near the great river Oceanus, dwelt an- 
other nation, just as happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans, — 
The Ethi ■ t ^ ie Ethiopians. They, too, often enjoyed the 
and the isles company of the gods, who shared their innocent 

of the Blest. , . , , .. , 

pleasures with great delight. 
And far away, on the shore of this same marvelous river, ac- 
cording to some mythologists, were the beautiful Isles of the 
Blest, where mortals who had led virtuous lives, and had thus 
found favor in the sight of the gods, were transported without 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 17 

tasting of death, and where they enjoyed an eternity of bliss. 
These islands had sun, moon, and stars of their own, and were 
never visited by the cold wintry winds that swept down from the 
north. 

" The Isles of the Blest, they say, 
The Isles of the Blest, 
Are peaceful and happy, by night and by day, 
Far away in the glorious west. 

" They need not the moon in that land of delight, 
They need not the pale, pale star ; 
The sun is bright, by day and night, 
Where the souls of the blessed are. 

" They till not the ground, they plow not the wave, 

They labor not, never ! oh, never ! 

Not a tear do they shed, not a sigh do they heave, 

They are happy, for ever and ever ! " 

Pindar. 

Chaos, Erebus, and Nyx were deprived of their power by 
^Ether and Hemera, who did not long enjoy the possession of 
the scepter ; for Uranus and Gsea, more powerful Uranus and 
than their progenitors, soon forced them to depart, Gsea * 

and began to reign in their stead. They had not dwelt long on 
the summit of Mount Olympus, before they found themselves the 
parents of twelve gigantic children, the Titans, whose strength 
was such that their father, Uranus', greatly feared them. To pre- 
vent their ever making use of it against him, he seized them im- 
mediately after their birth, hurled them down into a dark abyss 
called Tartarus, and there chained them fast. 

This chasm was situated far under the earth; and Uranus 
knew that his six sons (Oceanus, CceuSj Crius, Hyperion, Iap- 
etuSj and Cronus), as well as his six daughters, „,. _ , 

" & ' Titans, Cyclo- 

theTitanides (Ilia, Rhea, Themis, Thetis, Mnemos- pes, and Cen- 
yne, and Phoebe), could not easily escape from its 
cavernous depths. The Titans did not long remain sole occu- 
pants of Tartarus, for one day the brazen doors were again 



1 8 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

thrown wide open to admit the Cyclopes, — Brontes (Thunder), 
Steropes (Lightning), and Arges (Sheet-lightning), — three later- 
born children of Uranus and Gaea, who helped the Titans to 
make the darkness hideous with their incessant clamor for free- 
dom. In due time their number was increased by the three ter- 
rible Centimani (Hundred-handed), Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes, 
who were sent thither by Uranus to share their fate. 

Greatly dissatisfied with the treatment her children had re- 
ceived at their father's hands, Gaea remonstrated, but all in vain. 
Uranus would not grant her request to set the giants free, and, 
whenever their muffled cries reached his ear, he trembled for his 
own safety. Angry beyond all expression, Gaea swore revenge, 
and descended into Tartarus, where she urged the Titans to con- 
spire against their father, and attempt to wrest the scepter from 
his grasp. 

All listened attentively to the words of sedition ; but none were 
courageous enough to carry out her plans, except Cronus, the 

The Titans youngest of the Titans, more familiarly known as 
revolt. Saturn or Time, who found confinement and chains 

peculiarly galling, and who hated his father for his cruelty. Gaea 
finally induced him to lay violent hands upon his sire, and, after 
releasing him from his bonds, gave him a_scylhe, and bade him 
be of good cheer and return victorious. 

Thus armed and admonished, Cronus set forth, came upon his 
father unawares, defeated him, thanks to his extraordinary weap- 
on, and, after binding him fast, took possession of the vacant 
throne, intending to rule the universe forever. Enraged at this 
insult, Uranus cursed his son, and prophesied that a day would 
come when he, too, would be supplanted by his children, and 
would suffer just punishment for his rebellion. 

Cronus paid no heed to his father's imprecations, but calmly 
proceeded to release the Titans, his brothers and sisters, who, in 
their joy and gratitude to escape the dismal realm of Tartarus, 
expressed their willingness to be ruled by him. Their satisfac- 
tion was complete, however, when he chose his own sister Rhea 




<»9> 



20 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

(Cybele, Ops) for his consort, and assigned to each of the others 
some portion of the world to govern at will. To Oceanus and 

Cronus and Thetis, for example, he gave charge over the ocean 

Rhea. anc j a ]j ^g r j vers U pon earth ; while to Hyperion 

and Phcebe he intrusted the direction of the sun and moon, which 

the ancients supposed were daily driven across the sky in brilliant 

golden chariots. 

Peace and security now reigned on and around Mount Olym- 
pus; and Cronus, with great satisfaction, congratulated himself 
on the result of his enterprise. One fine morning, however, his 
equanimity was disturbed by the announcement that a son was 
born to him. The memory of his father's curse then suddenly re- 
turned to his mind. Anxious to avert so great a calamity as the 
loss of his power, he hastened to his wife, determined to devour 
the child, and thus prevent him from causing further annoyance. 
Wholly unsuspicious, Rhea heard him inquire for his son. Gladly 
she placed him in his extended arms ; but imagine her surprise 
and horror when she beheld her husband swallow the babe! 

Time passed, and another child was born, but only to meet 

with the same cruel fate. One infant after another disappeared 

Birth down the capacious throat of the voracious Cro- 

of Jupiter. nus? — a personification of Time, who creates only 
to destroy. In vain the bereaved mother besought the life of 
one little one : the selfish, hard-hearted father would not relent. 
As her prayers seemed unavailing, Rhea finally resolved to obtain 
by stratagem the boon her husband denied ; and -as soon as her 
youngest son, Jupiter (Jove, Zeus), was born, she concealed him. 

Cronus, aware of his birth, soon made his appearance, deter- 
mined to dispose of him in the usual summary manner. For 
some time Rhea pleaded with him, but at last pretended to yield 
to his commands. Hastily wrapping a large stone in swaddling 
clothes, she handed it to Cronus, simulating intense grief. Cro- 
nus was evidently not of a very inquiring turn of mind, for he 
swallowed the whole without investigating the real contents of 
the shapeless bundle. 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 21 

"To th' imperial son of Heaven, 
Whilom the king of gods, a stone she gave 
Inwrapt in infant swathes ; and this with grasp 
Eager he snatch'd, and in his ravening breast 
Convey'd away : unhappy ! nor once thought 
That for the stone his child behind remain'd 
Invincible, secure ; who soon, with hands 
Of strength o'ercoming him, should cast him forth 
From glory, and himself th' immortals rule." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

Ignorant of the deception practiced upon him, Cronus then 
took leave, and the overjoyed mother clasped her rescued treas- 
ure to her breast. It was not sufficient, however, to have saved 
young Jupiter from imminent death : it was also necessary that 
his father should remain unconscious of his existence. 

To insure this, Rhea intrusted her babe to the tender care of 
the Melian nymphs, who bore him off to a cave on Mount Ida. 
There a goat, Amalthea, was procured to act as Jupiter's 
nurse, and fulfilled her office so acceptably that infancy, 
she was eventually placed in the heavens as a constellation, a 
brilliant reward for her kind ministrations. To prevent Jupiter's 
cries being heard in Olympus, the Curetes (Corybantes), Rhea's 
priests, uttered piercing screams, clashed their weapons, executed 
fierce dances, and chanted rude war songs. 

The real significance of all this unwonted noise and commo- 
tion was not at all understood by Cronus, who, in the intervals 
of his numerous affairs, congratulated himself upon the cunning 
he had shown to prevent the accomplishment of his father's curse. 
But all his anxiety and fears were aroused when he suddenly 
became aware of the fraud practiced upon him, and of young 
Jupiter's continued existence. He immediately tried to devise 
some plan to get rid of him ; but, before he could put it into 
execution, he found himself attacked, and, after a short but 
terrible encounter, signally defeated. - 

Jupiter, delighted to have triumphed so quickly, took possession 



22 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

of the supreme power, and aided by Rhea's counsels, and by 
a nauseous potion prepared by Metis, a daughter of Oceanus, 
Jupiter's compelled Cronus to produce the unfortunate chil- 
supremacy. d ren he had swallowed ; i.e., Neptune, Pluto, Ves- 
ta, Ceres, and Juno. 

Following the example of his predecessor, Jupiter gave his 
brothers and sisters a fair share of his new kingdom. The wis- 
est among the Titans — Mnemosyne, Themis, Oceanus, and Hy- 
perion — submitted to the new sovereign without murmur, but 
the others refused their allegiance ; which refusal, of course, occa- 
sioned a deadly conflict. 

"When gods began with wrath, 
And war rose up between their starry brows, 
Some choosing to cast Cronus from his throne 
That Zeus might king it there, and some in haste 
With opposite oaths that they would have no Zeus 
To rule the gods forever." 

E. B. Browning. 

Jupiter, from the top of Mount Olympus, discerned the superior 
number of his foes, and, quite aware of their might, concluded 

The giants' tnat reinforcements to his party would not be su- 
war. perfluous. In haste, therefore, he released the Cy- 

clopes from Tartarus, where they had languished so long, stipu- 
lating that in exchange for their freedom they should supply him 
with thunderbolts, — weapons which only they knew how to 
forge. This new engine caused great terror and dismay in the 
ranks of the enemy, who, nevertheless, soon rallied, and struggled 
valiantly to overthrow the usurper and win back the sovereignty 
of the world. 

During ten long years the war raged incessantly, neither party 
wishing to submit to the dominion of the other, but at the end 
of that time the rebellious Titans were obliged to yield. Some 
of them were hurled into Tartarus once more, where they were 
carefully secured by Neptune, Jupiter's brother, while the young 
conqueror joyfully proclaimed his victory. 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 23 

" League all your forces then, ye powers above, 
Join all, and try th' omnipotence of Jove : 
Let down our golden everlasting chain, 
Whose strong embrace holds heaven and earth and main : 
Strive all, of mortal and immortal birth, 
To drag, by this, the Thunderer down to earth, 
Ye strive in vain ! if I but stretch this hand, 
I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land; 
I fix the chain to great Olympus' height, 
And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight ! 
For such I reign, unbounded and above ; 
And such are men and gods, compar'd to Jove." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

The scene of this mighty conflict was supposed to have been 
in Thessaly, 4 where the country bears the imprint of some great 
natural convulsion; for the ancients imagined that the gods, 
making the most of their gigantic strength and stature, hurled 
huge rocks at each other, and piled mountain upon mountain to 
reach the abode of Jupiter, the Thunderer. 

" Mountain on mountain, as the Titans erst, 
My brethren, scaling the high seat of Jove, 
Heaved Pelion upon Ossa's shoulders broad 
In vain emprise." 

Lowell. 

Saturn, or Cronus, the leader and instigator of the revolt, 
weary at last of bloodshed and strife, withdrew to Italy, or Hes- 
peria, where he founded a prosperous kingdom, and reigned in 
peace for many long years. 

Jupiter, having disposed of all the Titans, now fancied he 
would enjoy the power so unlawfully obtained ; but Gsea, to pun- 
ish him for depriving her children of their birth- Death 
right, created a terrible monster, called Typhosus, of T yp hceus - 
or Typhon, which she sent to attack him. This Typhosus was a 
giant, from whose trunk one hundred dragon heads arose ; flames 
shot from his eyes, nostrils, and mouths ; while he incessantly 
uttered such blood-curdling screams, that the gods, in terror, fled 



24 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

from Mount Olympus and sought refuge in Egypt. In mortal 
fear lest this terror-inspiring monster would pursue them, the 
gods there assumed the forms of different animals ; and Jupiter 
became a ram, while Juno, his sister and queen, changed herself 
into a cow. 

The king of the gods, however, soon became ashamed of his 
cowardly flight, and resolved to return to Mount Olympus to slay 
Typhosus with his terrible thunderbolts. A long and fierce strug- 
gle ensued, at the end of which, Jupiter, again victorious, viewed 
his fallen foe with boundless pride ; but his triumph was very 
short-lived. 

Enceladus, another redoubtable giant, also created by Gaea, 
now appeared to avenge Typhceus. He too was signally de- 
Defeat of feated, and bound with adamantine chains in a 
Enceladus. burning cave under Mount ^Etna. In early times, 
before he had become accustomed to his prison, he gave vent to 
his rage by outcries, imprecations, and groans : sometimes he 
even breathed forth fire and flames, in hopes of injuring his con- 
queror. But time, it is said, somewhat cooled his resentment; 
and now he is content with an occasional change of position, 
which, owing to his huge size, causes the earth to tremble over a 
space of many miles, producing what is called an earthquake. 

" 'Tis said, that thunder-struck Enceladus, 
Groveling beneath the incumbent mountain's weight, 
Lies stretched supine, eternal prey of flames ; 
And, when he heaves against the burning load, 
Reluctant, to invert his broiling limbs, 
A sudden earthquake shoots through all the isle, 
And ^Etna thunders dreadful under ground, 
Then pours out smoke in wreathing curls convolved, 
And shades the sun's bright orb, and blots out day." 

Addison. 

Jupiter had now conquered all his foes, asserted his right to 
the throne, and could at last reign over the world undisturbed ; 
but he knew that it would be no small undertaking to rule well 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 25 

heaven, earth, and sea, and resolved to divide the power with 
his brothers. To avoid quarrels and recrimina- j up iter divides 
tions, he portioned the world out into lots, allow- his realm - 
ing each of his brothers the privilege of drawing his own share. 

Neptune thus obtained control over the sea and all the rivers, 
and immediately expressed his resolve to wear a symbolic crown, 
composed exclusively of marine shells and aquatic plants, and to 
abide within the bounds of his watery realm. 

Pluto, the most taciturn of the brothers, received for his por- 
tion the scepter of Tartarus and all the Lower World, where no 
beam of sunlight was ever allowed to find its way ; while Jupiter 
reserved for himself the general supervision of his brothers' estates, 
and the direct management of Heaven and Earth. 

Peace now reigned throughout all the world. Not a murmur 
was heard, except from the Titans, who at length, seeing that 
further opposition would be useless, grew reconciled to their fate. 

In the days of their prosperity, the Titans had intermarried. 
Cronus had taken Rhea "for better or for worse;" and Iapetus 
had seen, loved, and wedded the fair Clymene, one of the ocean 
nymphs, or Oceanides, daughters of Oceanus. The latter pair be- 
came the proud parents of four gigantic sons, — Atlas, Menetius, 
Prometheus (Forethought), and Epimetheus (Afterthought), — 
who were destined to play prominent parts in Grecian mythology. 

At the time of the creation, after covering the new-born Earth 
with luxuriant vegetation, and peopling it with living creatures of 
all kinds, Eros perceived that it would be neces- story of 
sary to endow them with instincts which would Prometheus, 
enable them to preserve and enjoy the life they had received. 
He therefore called the youngest two sons of Iapetus to his aid, 
and bade them make a judicious distribution of gifts to all living 
creatures, and create and endow a superior being, called Man, 
to rule over all the others. 

Prometheus' and Epimetheus' first care was, very naturally, to 
provide for the beings already created. These they endowed with 
such reckless generosity, that all their favors were soon dispensed, 



(26) 



MINERVA AND PROMETHEUS.— Thorwaldsen. 
( Copenhagen.) 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 27 

and none remained for the endowment of man. Although they 
had not the remotest idea how to overcome this difficulty, they 
proceeded to fashion man from clay. 

"Prometheus first transmuted 
Atoms culled for human clay." 

Horace. 

They first 'molded an image similar in form to the gods; bade 
Eros breathe into its nostrils the spirit of life, and Minerva (Pal- 
las) endow it with a soul ; whereupon man lived, and moved, and 
viewed his new domain. 

Justly proud of his handiwork, Prometheus observed man, and 
longed to bestow upon him some great power, unshared by any 
other creature of mortal birth, which would raise him far above 
all other living beings, and bring him nearer to the perfection of 
the immortal gods. Fire alone, in his estimation, could effect 
this ; but fire was the special possession and prerogative of the 
gods, and Prometheus knew they would never willingly share it 
with man, and that, should any one obtain it by stealth, they 
would never forgive the thief. Long he pondered the matter, and 
finally determined to obtain fire, or die in the attempt. 

One dark night, therefore, he set out for Olympus, entered 
unperceived into the gods' abode, seized a lighted brand, hid it 
in his bosom, and departed unseen, exulting in the success of his 
enterprise. Arrived upon earth once more, he consigned the 
stolen treasure to the care of man, who immediately adapted it to 
various purposes, and eloquently expressed his gratitude to the 
benevolent deity who had risked his own life to obtain it for him. 

" Of Prometheus, how undaunted 
On Olympus' shining bastions 
His audacious foot he planted, 
Myths are told and songs are chanted, 
Full of promptings and suggestions. 

" Beautiful is the tradition 

Of that flight through heavenly portals, 



28 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

The old classic superstition 
Of the theft and the transmission 
Of the fire of the Immortals." 

Longfellow. 

From his lofty throne on the topmost peak of Mount Olympus 
Jupiter beheld an unusual light down upon earth. Anxious to 
ascertain its exact nature, he watched it closely, and before long 
discovered the larceny. His anger then burst forth, terrible to 
behold ; and the gods all quailed when they heard him solemnly 
vow he would punish the unhappy Prometheus without mercy. 
To seize the offender in his mighty grasp, bear him off to the 
Caucasian Mountains, and bind him fast to a great rock, was but 
a moment's work. There a voracious vulture was summoned to 
feast upon his liver, the tearing of which from his side by the 
bird's cruel beak and talons caused the sufferer intense anguish. 
All day long the vulture gorged himself; but during the cool 
night, while the bird slept, Prometheus' suffering abated, and the 
liver grew again, thus prolonging the torture, which bade fair to 
have no end. 

Disheartened by the prospect of long years of unremitting 
pain, Prometheus at times could not refrain from pitiful com- 
plaints ; but generation after generation of men lived on earth, 
and died, blessing him for the gift he had obtained for them at 
such a terrible cost. After many centuries of woe, Hercules, son 
of Jupiter and Alcmene, found Prometheus, killed the vulture, 
broke the adamantine chains, and liberated the long-suffering 
god. 

The first mortals lived on earth in a state of perfect innocence 

and bliss. The air was pure and balmy ; the sun shone brightly 

all the year; the earth brought forth delicious 

Epimetheus fruit in abundance ; and beautiful, fragrant flowers 

bloomed everywhere. Man was content. Extreme 

cold, hunger, sickness, and death were unknown. Jupiter, who 

justly ascribed a good part of this beatific condition to the gift 

conferred by Prometheus, was greatly displeased, and tried to 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 29 

devise some means to punish mankind for the acceptance of the 
heavenly fire. 

With this purpose in view, he assembled the gods on Mount 
Olympus, where, in solemn council, they decided to create 
woman ; and, as soon as she had been artfully fashioned, each 
one endowed her with some special charm, to make her more 

attractive. 

" The crippled artist-god, 
Illustrious, molded from the yielding clay 
A bashful virgin's image, as advis'd 
Saturnian Jove. 



"But now when the fair mischief, seeming-good, 
His hand had perfected, he led her forth 
Exulting in her grac'd attire, the gift 
Of Pallas, in the midst of gods and men. 
On men and gods in that same moment seiz'd 
The ravishment of wonder, when they saw 
The deep deceit, th' inextricable snare." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

Their united efforts were crowned with the utmost success. 
Nothing was lacking, except a name for the peerless creature ; 
and the gods, after due consideration, decreed she should be 
called Pandora. They then bade Mercury take her to Prome- 
theus as a gift from heaven ; but he, knowing only too well that 
nothing good would come to him from the gods, refused to ac- 
cept her, and cautioned his brother Epimetheus to follow his 
example. Unfortunately Epimetheus was of a confiding dis- 
position, and when he beheld the maiden he exclaimed, " Surely 
so beautiful and gentle a being can bring no evil ! " and accepted 
her most joyfully. 

The first days of their union were spent in blissful wanderings, 
hand in hand, under the cool forest shade ; in weaving garlands 
of fragrant flowers ; and in refreshing themselves with the luscious 
fruit, which hung so temptingly within reach. 

One lovely evening, while dancing on the green, they saw 




(3°) 



PANDORA — Sichel. 



THE BEGINNING OF AIL THINGS. 31 

Mercury, Jupiter's messenger, coming towards them. His step 
was slow and weary, his garments dusty and travel-stained, and 
he seemed almost to stagger beneath the weight of a huge box 
which rested upon his shoulders. Pandora immediately ceased 
dancing, to speculate with feminine curiosity upon the contents 
of the chest. She nudged Epimetheus, and in a whisper begged 
him to ask Mercury. what brought him thither. Epimetheus 
complied with her request ; but Mercury evaded the question, 
asked permission to deposit his burden in their dwelling for safe- 
keeping, professing himself too weary to convey it to its destina- 
tion that day, and promised to call for it shortly. The permis- 
sion was promptly granted. Mercury, with a sigh of relief, placed 
the box in one corner, and then departed, refusing all hospitable 
offers of rest and refreshment. 

He had scarcely crossed the threshold, when Pandora expressed 
a strong desire to have a peep at the contents of the mysterious 
box ; but Epimetheus, surprised and shocked, told her that her 
curiosity was unseemly, and then, to dispel the frown and pout 
seen for the first time on the fair face of his beloved, he entreated 
her to come out into the fresh air and join in the merry games of 
their companions. For the first time, also, Pandora refused to 
comply with his request. Dismayed, and very much discouraged, 
Epimetheus sauntered out alone, thinking she would soon join 
him, and perhaps by some caress atone for her present willfulness. 

Left alone with the mysterious casket, Pandora became more 
and more inquisitive. Stealthily she drew near, and examined it 
with great interest, for it was curiously wrought of dark wood, 
and surmounted by a delicately carved head, of such fine work- 
manship that it seemed to smile and encourage her. Around 
the box a glittering golden cord was wound, and fastened on top 
in an intricate knot. Pandora, who prided herself specially on 
her deft fingers, felt sure she could unfasten it, and, reasoning 
that it would not be indiscreet to untie it if she did not raise the 
lid, she set to work. Long she strove, but all in vain. Ever 
and anon the laughing voices of Epimetheus and his companions, 



32 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

playing in the luxuriant shade, were wafted in on the summer 
breeze. Repeatedly she heard them call, and beseech her to join 
them ; yet she persisted in her attempt. She was just on the 
point of giving it up in despair, when suddenly the refractory 
knot yielded to her fumbling fingers, and the cord, unrolling, 
dropped on the floor. 

Pandora had repeatedly fancied that sounds like whispers issued 
from the box. The noise now seemed to increase, and she breath- 
lessly applied her ear to the lid to ascertain whether it really 
proceeded from within. Imagine, therefore, her surprise when 
she distinctly heard these words, uttered in the most pitiful 
accents: " Pandora, dear Pandora, have pity upon us! Free us 
from this gloomy prison! Open, open, we beseech you!" 

Pandora's heart beat so fast and loud, that it seemed for a 
moment to drown all other sounds. Should she open the box? 
Just then a familiar step outside made her start guiltily. Epime- 
theus was coining, and she knew he would urge her again to 
come out, and would prevent the gratification of her curiosity. 
Precipitately, therefore, she raised the lid to have one little peep 
before he came in. 

Now, Jupiter had malignantly crammed into this box all the 
diseases, sorrows, vices, and crimes that afflict poor humanity ; 
and the box was no sooner opened, than all these ills flew out, 
in the guise of horrid little brown-winged creatures, closely 
resembling moths. These little insects fluttered about, alight- 
ing, some upon Epimetheus, who had just entered, and some 
upon Pandora, pricking and stinging them most unmercifully. 
Then they flew out through the open door and windows, and 
fastened upon the merrymakers without, whose shouts of joy were 
soon changed into wails of pain and anguish. 

Epimetheus and Pandora had never before experienced the 
faintest sensation of pain or anger ; but, as soon as these winged 
evil spirits had stung them, they began to weep, and, alas! quar- 
reled for the first time in their lives. Epimetheus reproached his 
wife in bitterest terms for her thoughtless action ; but in the very 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 33 

midst of his vituperation he suddenly heard a sweet little voice 
entreat for freedom. The sound proceeded from the unfortu- 
nate box, whose cover Pandora had dropped again, in the first 
moment of her surprise and pain. " Open, open, and I will heal 
your wounds! Please let me out! " it pleaded. 

The tearful couple viewed each other inquiringly, and listened 
again. Once more they heard the same pitiful accents; and 
Epimetheus bade his wife open the box and set the speaker free, 
adding very amiably, that she had already done so much harm 
by her ill-fated curiosity, that it would be difficult to add 
materially to its evil consequences, and that, perchance, the box 
contained some good spirit, whose ministrations might prove 
beneficial. 

It was well for Pandora that she opened the box a second time, 
for the gods, with a sudden impulse of compassion, had concealed 
among the evil spirits one kindly creature, Hope, whose mission 
was to heal the wounds inflicted by her fellow-prisoners. 

" Hope sole remain'd within, nor took her flight, 
Beneath the vessel's verge conceal'd from light." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

Lightly fluttering hither and thither on her snowy pinions, 
Hope touched the punctured places on Pandora's and Epime- 
theus' creamy skin, and relieved their suffering, then quickly flew 
out of the open window, to perform the same gentle office for the 
other victims, and cheer their downcast spirits. 

Thus, according to the ancients, evil entered into the world, 
bringing untold misery; but Hope followed closely in its foot- 
steps, to aid struggling humanity, and point to a happier future. 

" Hope rules a land forever green : 
All powers that serve the bright-eyed Queen 

Are confident and gay ; 
Clouds at her bidding disappear ; 
Points she to aught ? — the bliss draws near, 
And Fancy smooths the way." 

Wordsworth. 




(34) 



HOPE. — Thorwaldsen. 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 35 

During many centuries, therefore, Hope continued to be re- 
vered, although the other divinities hacTceased to be worshiped. 

According to another version, Pandora was sent down to man, 
bearing a vase in which the evil spirits were imprisoned, and on 
the way, seized by a fit of curiosity, raised the cover, and allowed 
them all to escape. 

Little by little the world was peopled ; and the first years of 
man's existence upon earth were, as we have seen, years of 
unalloyed happiness. There was no occasion for 
labor, for the earth brought forth spontaneously e ° ur ges " 
all that was necessary for man's subsistence. " Innocence, vir- 
tue^ and truth prevailed ; neither were there any laws to restrict 
men, nor judges to punish." This time of bliss has justly borne 
the title of Golden Age, and the people in Italy then throve 
under the wise rule of good old Saturn, or Cronus. 

Unfortunately, nothing in this world is lasting ; and the Golden 
Age was followed by another, not quite so prosperous, hence 
called the Silver Age, when the year was first divided into seasons, 
and men were obliged to toil for their daily bread. 

" Succeeding times a silver age behold, 
Excelling brass, but more excell'd by gold. 
Then summer, autumn, winter, did appear, 
And spring was but a season of the year; 
The sun his annual course obliquely made, 
Good days contracted, and enlarg'd the bad. 
The air with sultry heats began to glow, 
The wings of winds were clogg'd with ice and snow; 
And shivering mortals into houses driven, 
Sought shelter from the inclemency of heaven. 
Those houses, then, were caves or homely sheds, 
With twining osiers fenc'd, and moss their beds. 
Then plows, for seed, the fruitful furrows broke, 
And oxen labor'd first beneath the yoke." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

Yet, in spite of these few hardships, the people were happy, 
far happier than their descendants during the Age of Brass, which 



36 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

speedily followed, when strife became customary, and differences 
were -settled by blows. 

But by far the worst of all was the Iron Age, when men's pas- 
sions knew no bounds, and they even dared refuse all homage 
to the immortal gods. War was waged incessantly ; the earth 
was saturated with blood ; the rights of hospitality were openly 
violated ; and murder, rape, and theft were committed on all sides. 

Jupiter had kept a close watch over men's actions during 

all these years ; and this evil conduct aroused his wrath to such 

a point, that he vowed he would annihilate the 

The Deluge. , ' _ , , , 

human race. But the modes of destruction were 
manifold, and, as he could not decide which would eventually 
prove most efficacious, he summoned the gods to deliberate and 
aid him by their counsels. The first suggestion offered, was to 
destroy the world by fire, kindled by Jupiter's much-dreaded 
thunderbolts; and the king of gods was about to put it into 
instant execution, when his arm was stayed by the objection that 
the rising flames might set fire to his own abode, and reduce its 
magnificence to unsightly ashes. He therefore rejected the plan 
as impracticable, and bade the gods devise other means of de- 
struction.' 

After much delay and discussion, the immortals agreed to wash 
mankind off the face of the earth by a mighty deluge. The 
winds were instructed to gather together the rain clouds over the 
earth. Neptune let loose the waves of the sea, bidding them 
rise, overflow, and deluge the land. No sooner had the gods 
spoken, than the elements obeyed : the winds blew ; the rain fell 
in torrents ; lakes, seas, rivers, and oceans broke their bonds ; and 
terrified mortals, forgetting their petty quarrels in a common im- 
pulse to flee from the death which threatened them, climbed 
the highest mountains, clung to uprooted trees, and even took 
refuge in the light skiffs they had constructed in happier days. 
Their efforts were all in vain, however ; for the waters rose higher 
and higher, overtook them one after another in their ineffectual 
efforts to escape, closed over the homes where they might have 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 37 

been so happy, and drowned their last despairing cries in their 
seething depths. 

" Now hills and vales no more distinction know, 
And level'd nature lies oppress'd below ; 
The most of mortals perish in the flood." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

The rain continued to fall, until, after many days, the waves 
covered all the surface of the earth except the summit of Mount 
Parnassus, the highest peak in Greece. On this Stor f 
mountain, surrounded by the ever-rising flood, Deucalion 
stood the son of Prometheus, Deucalion, with his an y " 
faithful wife Pyrrha, a daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora. 
From thence they, the sole survivors, viewed the universal deso- 
lation with tear-dimmed eyes. 

In spite of the general depravity, the lives of this couple had 
always been pure and virtuous ; and when Jupiter saw them there 
alone, and remembered their piety, he decided not to include them 
in the general destruction, but to save their lives. He therefore 
bade the winds return to their cave, and the rain to cease. Nep- 
tune, in accordance with his decree, blew a resounding blast upon 
his conch shell to recall the wandering waves, which immediately 
returned within their usual bounds. 

" At length the world was all restor'd to view, 
But desolate, and of a sickly hue ; 
Nature beheld herself, and stood aghast, 
A dismal desert and a silent waste." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

Deucalion and Pyrrha followed the receding waves step by 
step down the steep mountain side, wondering how they should 
repeople the desolate earth. As they talked, they came to the 
shrine of Delphi, which alone had been able to resist the force of 
the waves. There they entered to^consult the wishes of the gods. 
Their surprise and horror were unbounded, however, when a 
voice exclaimed, " Depart from hence with veiled heads, and 
3 



38 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

cast your mother's bones behind you!" To obey such a com- 
mand seemed sacrilegious in the extreme ; for the dead had 
always been held in deep veneration by the Greeks, and the des- 
ecration of a grave was considered a heinous crime, and punished 
accordingly. But, they reasoned, the gods' oracles can seldom be 
accepted in a literal sense ; and Deucalion, after due thought, 
explained to Pyrrha what he conceived to be the meaning of this 
mysterious command. 

" The Earth," said he, " is the mother of all, and the stones 
may be considered her bones." Husband and wife speedily 
decided to act upon this premise, and continued their descent, 
casting stones behind them. All those thrown by Deucalion 
were immediately changed into men, while those cast by Pyrrha 
became women. 

Thus the earth was peopled for the second time with a blame- 
less race of men, sent to replace the wicked beings slain by 
Jupiter. Deucalion and Pyrrha shortly after became the happy 
parents of a son named Hellen, who gave his name to all the 
Hellenic or Greek race ; while his sons yEolus^ and Dorus, and 
grandsons Ion and Achaeus, became the ancestors of the ^Eolian, 
Dorian, Ionian, and Achaian nations. 

Other mythologists, in treating of the deluvian myths, state 
that Deucalion and Pyrrha took refuge in an ark, which, after 
sailing about for many days, was stranded on the top of Mount 
Parnassus. This version was far less popular with the Greeks, 
although it betrays still more plainly the common source whence 
all these myths are derived. 

" Who does not see in drown Deucalion's name, 
When Earth her men and Sea had lost her shore, 
Old Noah ! " 

Fletcher. 



CHAPTER II. 

JUPITER. 

Jupiter, Jove, or Zeus, king of the gods, supreme ruler of the 
universe, the special deity of mankind, the personification of the 
sky and of all the phenomena of the air, and the 

,. . ,. . , , , , Jupiter's titles. 

guardian of political order and peace, was the most 

.prominent of all the Olympian divinities : the others were obliged 

to submit to his will, and trembled at his all-powerful nod. 

" He, whose all-conscious eyes the world behold, 
The eternal Thunderer sat, enthroned in gold. 
High heaven the footstool of his feet he makes, 
And wide beneath him all Olympus shakes." 

" He spoke, and awful bends his sable brows, 
Shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod, 
The stamp of fate and sanction of the god : 
High heaven with trembling the dread signal took, 
And all Olympus to the center shook." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

The Fates and Destiny alone dared oppose Jupiter's sovereign 
will, and they continued to issue their irrevocable decrees, even 
after he supplanted his father and began to rule over all. 

In common with all other Greek and Roman divinities, Jupiter, 
though immortal, was subject to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, 
and a prey to all the passions which rule the hearts of men. 

It was he who presided at the councils held on the top of 
" many-peaked Olympus," and summoned the gods whenever he 
wished to discuss with them any matter of importance, or to in- 

39 




(4°) 



OLYMPIAN ZEUS.-Flaxman. 



JUPITER. 41 

dulge in a sumptuous repast, when they ate the celestial am- 
brosia and quaffed the fragrant nectar. 

"He is generally represented as a fine majestic figure, with long 
curling hair and beard, clad in flowing drapery, his redoubt- 
able thunderbolts or scepter in one hand, and a statue of Vic- 
tory in the other. The world is his footstool; and the eagle, 
emblem of strength and power, is generally seen close beside him. 

Jupiter had his own special attendants, such as Victoria, or 
Nice, the goddess of victory, who was ever ready Jupiter's 
to obey his slightest behest, and it is said her mas- attendants, 
ter loved her so dearly, that he generally held an image of her in 
his hand. 

The hundred-tongued goddess of fame, Fama, trumpet in hand, 
proclaimed, at his bidding, anything he wished, 'never question- 
ing whether it were true or false. 

" Fame than who never plague that runs 

Its way more swiftly wins : 
Her very motion lends her power : 
She flies and waxes every hour. 
At first she shrinks, and cowers for dread: 

Ere long she soars on high : 
Upon the ground she plants her tread, 

Her forehead in the sky. " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Close by Jupiter's side was sometimes seen Fortuna, goddess 
of fortune, poised on a constantly revolving wheel, whereon she 
journeyed throughout the world, scattering with careless hands 
her numerous gifts, and lavishing with indifference her choicest 
smiles ; while Hebe, or Juventas, the goddess of youth, was ever 
ready at his wish to pour out the nectar, in which the gods were 
wont to pledge each other. 

" Hebe, honored of them all, 
Ministered nectar, and from cups of gold 
They pledged each other." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 




(42) 



GANYMEDE AND THE EAGLE. 
( National Museum, Naples.) 



JUPITER. 43 

But this fair goddess awkwardly tripped and fell on a solemn oc- 
casion, and was forced to resign her office. To replace her, the 
father of the gods was obliged to go in quest of another cup- 
bearer. 

To facilitate his search, he assumed the form of an eagle, and 
winged his flight over the earth. He had not flown far, before 
he beheld a youth of marvelous beauty, alone on a neighboring 
hill. To swoop down, catch him up in his mighty talons, and 
bear him safely off to Olympus, was but a moment's work ; and 
there the kidnapped youth Ganymede, the son of a king of Troy, 
was carefully instructed in the duties he was called upon to per- 
form in the future. 

"And godlike Ganymede, most beautiful 
Of men ; the gods beheld and caught him up 
To heaven, so beautiful was he, to pour 
The wine to Jove, and ever dwell with them." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Solicitous for the welfare of mankind, Jupiter often visited the 
earth, taking great care to assume some disguise which would 
enable him to ascertain all he wished without any 

f Story of 

risk of detection. One day he and Mercury, his Philemon 
special messenger and favorite among the gods, 
took the forms of needy, belated travelers, and entered the lowly 
hut of a worthy old couple, Philemon and Baucis. 

Eager to offer their best to the strangers, these poor people 
decided to kill their sole remaining goose; but their efforts to 
secure it were vain, and finally the persecuted fowl took refuge 
between Jupiter's knees. Touched with their zeal, yet anxious to 
prevent the death of the confiding goose, Jupiter revealed him- 
self to his faithful worshipers, and in gratitude for their intended 
sacrifice bade them ask any boon, promising by the great river 
Styx — the most binding and solemn oath a god could utter — 
to grant their request. 

Contrary to the custom current in similar cases, Philemon 



44 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

and Baucis made a modest and judicious choice, and proffered 
a timid request that they might serve the gods as long as life 
and strength endured, and finally die together. This most rea- 
sonable wish was immediately granted; and Jupiter, moreover, 
changed their humble abode into a superb temple, where they 
could offer daily sacrifices on his altars. 

"Their little shed, scarce large enough for two, 

Seems, from the ground increased, in height and bulk to grow. 

A stately temple shoots within the skies, 

The crotches of their cot in columns rise; 

The pavement polish'd marble they behold, 

The gates with sculpture grac'd, the spires and tiles of gold." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

After many years of faithful service, when age had made 
them long for death, Philemon and Baucis were transformed into 
majestic oaks, which stood for many a century in front of the 
temple, monuments of the love and faith which had bound the 
pair through life. 

Although married to Juno, Jupiter often indulged in love affairs 
with other goddesses, and even with mortal maidens. The ancients 
themselves did not practice polygamy, but their gods were sup- 
posed to be able to indulge all their passions with impunity. As 
the personification of the sky, Jupiter, therefore, consorted at 
times with Juno (the Atmosphere), with Dione (Moisture), with 
Themis (Justice), etc., without incurring any reproach ; for these 
marriages, in their estimation, were all symbolical. 

But Juno being of a jealous disposition, Jupiter was forced to 
conduct his courtships with great secrecy and circumspection, and 
therefore generally adopted the precaution of a disguise. To win 
Europa, the fair daughter of Agenor, for instance, he became a bull. 

"The gods themselves, 
Humbling their deities to love, have taken 
The shapes of beasts upon them. Jupiter 
Became a bull, and bellow'd." 

Shakespeare. 



JUPITER. 45 

One day Europa was playing in her father's meadows with her 
three brothers, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix, when she suddenly 
saw a white bull coming towards her ; not with j U pit er kidnaps 
fiery eyes and lowered horns, but gently, as if to Europa. 
express a mute request to be petted. The maiden, delighted, 
stroked the beast, and decked him with bright garlands of meadow- 
blossoms. Then, seeing him kneel, as if to invite her to mount, 
she lightly sprang upon his broad back, calling to her companions 
to follow her example ; but, before they could do as she wished, 
the bull had risen to his feet, and galloped off towards the sea 
with his fair burden on his back. 

Instead of turning when he saw the foam-crested waves, he 
plunged into the midst of them, and in a few minutes disap- 
peared from view, so rapidly did he swim away. To reassure 
the frightened girl, the bull now spoke in gentle accents, bidding 
her dismiss all fear, for he was the great Jupiter in disguise. 

"Take courage, gentle maid ! nor fear the tide: 
I, though near-seen a bull, am heavenly Jove: 
I change my shape at will." 

Moschus (Elton's tr.). 

Pleased with the novelty of her situation, and flattered by the 
god's evident admiration, Europa ceased to struggle, wound her 
arms more closely around the bull's neck to prevent the waves 
from washing her off her perilous seat, and allowed herself to be 
carried away. 

Jupiter finally deposited his fair burden upon the shores of a 
new land, to which he gallantly gave her name, Europe. He 
then resumed his wonted form, explained at length his reasons for 
so unceremoniously kidnapping her, and finally won her consent 
to their union. Their three sons were Minos, Rhadamanthus, 
and Sarpedon. The two former were subsequently appointed 
judges in the Infernal Regions, while the third found an early 
but glorious death during the Trojan war. 

All unconscious of their sister's fate, the young princes had 










(46) 



JUPTTER. 47 

returned in haste to their father's palace to announce her sudden 
involuntary departure. Agenor, whose favorite she had always 
been, rent his garments for grief, and bade his sons search 
go forth and seek her, and not to return till they for Eur°pa. 
had found her. Accompanied by their mother, Telephassa, they 
immediately set out on their journey, inquiring of all they met if 
they had seen their sister. Search and inquiry proved equally 
fruitless. 

At last, weary of this hopeless quest, Phcenix refused his fur- 
ther aid, and allowed his sorrowing relatives to continue without 
him, remaining in a land which from him was called Phoenicia. 
Cilix, too, soon followed his example, and settled in a fertile 
country which they had reached, hence called Cilicia ; and 
finally Telephassa, worn out with grief and fatigue, lay down to 
die, charging her oldest son to go on alone. 

Cadmus wandered on till he came to Delphi, where he con- 
sulted the oracle ; but, to his great dismay, the only reply he re- 
ceived was, " Follow the cow, and settle where she rests." 

In deep perplexity he left the temple, and, from force of habit, 
journeyed on, patiently questioning all he met. Soon he per- 
ceived a cow leisurely walking in front of him, and, mindful of 
the oracle, he ceased his search and followed her. Urged by 
curiosity, many adventurers joined him on the way, and, when 
the cow at last lay down in the land since called Boeotia, they 
all promised to aid Cadmus, their chosen leader, to found their 
future capital, which was to be called Thebes. 

Parched with thirst after their long walk, the men then has- 
tened to a neighboring spring, but, to Cadmus' surprise, time 
passed and still they did not return. Armed with Founding 
his trusty sword, he finally went down to the spring of Thebes, 
to discover the cause of their delay, and found that they had 
all been devoured by a huge dragon, which lived in the hollow. 
The prince raised his sword to avenge their death, and dealt 
the dragon such a deadly blow upon the head, that he put an 
immediate end to its existence. 



48 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

While Cadmus stood there contemplating his lifeless foe, a 
voice bade him extract the dragon's teeth, and sow them in the 
ground already broken for his future city. No human being was 
within sight: so Cadmus knew the order proceeded from the 
immortal gods, and immediately prepared to obey it. The drag- 
on's teeth were no sooner planted, than a crop of giants 
sprang from the soil, full grown, and armed to the teeth. They 
were about to fall upon Cadmus, when the same voice bade him 
cast a stone in the midst of their close-drawn phalanx. Cadmus, 
seeing the giants were almost upon him, and that no time was to be 
lost, quickly threw a stone. The effect produced was almost in- 
stantaneous ; for the giants, each fancying it had been thrown by 
his neighbor, began fighting among themselves. In a few min- 
utes the number of giants was reduced to five, who sheathed their 
bloodstained weapons, and humbly tendered their services to 
Cadmus. With their aid, the foundations of the city were laid; 
but their labor was not very arduous, as the gods caused some 
of the public buildings to rise up out of the ground, all complete, 
and ready for use. 

To reward Cadmus for his loving and painstaking search for 
Europa, Jupiter gave him the hand of the fair princess Harmonia, 
a daughter of Mars and Venus, in marriage. Cadmus, the 
founder of Thebes, is supposed to have invented the alphabet, 
and introduced its use into Greece. Although his career was very 
prosperous at first, he finally incurred the wrath of the gods by 
forgetting, on a solemn occasion, to offer them a suitable sacrifice ; 
and, in anger at his dereliction, they changed him and Harmonia 
into huge serpents. 

Jupiter was, of course, very widely and generally worshiped 
by the ancients ; and his principal temples — the Capitol at Rome, 

Worship and the shrine of Jupiter Ammon in Libya — have 

of Jupiter. been W orld-renowned. He also had a noted tem- 
ple at Dodona, where an oak tree gave forth mysterious proph- 
ecies, which were supposed to have been inspired by the king of 
gods ; this long lost shrine has recently been discovered. 



JUPITER. 49 

"Oh, where, Dodona ! is thine aged grove, 
Prophetic fount, and oracle divine? 
What valley echoed the response of Jove ? 
What trace remaineth of the Thunderer's shrine? 
All, all forgotten ! " 

Byron. 

A magnificent temple at Olympia, on the Peloponnesus, was 
also dedicated to Jupiter ; and here every fifth year the people of 
Greece were wont to assemble to celebrate games, in honor of 
Jupiter's great victory over the Titans. These festivals were 
known as the Olympian Games ; and the Greeks generally reck- 
oned time by olympiads, that is to say, by the space of time be- 
tween the celebrations. Within the temple at Olympia stood a 
wonderful statue of gold and ivory, the work of Phidias. Its pro- 
portions and beauty were such, that it was counted one of the 
Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It is said, too, that the 
artist, having completed this masterpiece, longed for some sign 
of approval from heaven, and fervently prayed for a token that 
the god accepted his labor. Jupiter, in answer to this prayer, 
sent a vivid flash of lightning, which played about the colossal 
image, illuminating it, but leaving it quite unharmed. 

The Greeks were indebted to Phidias for many of their most 
exquisite statues of the gods; but none of the others equaled 
this figure of Jupiter in size, dignity of attitude, or elaborate 
finish. 

" Wise Phidias, thus his skill to prove, 

Through many a god advanc'd to Jove, 

And taught the polish'd rocks to shine 

With airs and lineaments divine ; 

Till Greece, amaz'd, and half afraid, 

Th' assembled deities survey'd." 




(So) 



JUNO. 
(Vatican, Rome.) 



CHAPTER III. 

JUNO. 

Juno (Hera, Here), queen of heaven, and goddess of the 
atmosphere and of marriage, was the daughter of Cronus and 
Rhea, and consequently the sister of Jupiter ; but, juno's 

as soon as the latter had dethroned his parents and marriage, 
seized the scepter, he began to look about him for a suitable help- 
mate. Juno won his affections by her great beauty ; and he im- 
mediately began his courtship, which he carried on in the guise 
of a cuckoo, to infuse a little romance into it. He evidently 
found favor in her sight, and won her consent to share his throne ; 
for shortly afterward their wedding was celebrated with great 
pomp on Mount Olympus. It was on this solemn occasion that 
the immortal conclave of the gods declared that Juno should be 
henceforth honored as goddess of marriage. 

"Juno, who presides 
Supreme o'er bridegrooms and o'er brides." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

But although in the beginning this union seemed very happy, 
there soon arose subjects for contention ; for unfortunately Jupiter 
was inclined to be faithless, and Juno jealous, and, like the ele- 
ment she personified, exceedingly variable in her moods. On such 
occasions she gave way to her violent temper, and bitterly re- 
proached her husband, who, impatient of her censure, punished 
her severely, and, instead of reforming, merely continued his nu- 
merous intrigues with renewed zest. 

On one occasion he fell deeply in love with a maiden named 

5i 



52 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Callisto, gentle, fair, and slender ; but, in spite of all the precau- 
tions which he took when visiting her, Juno discovered the ob- 
story of Callisto j ect °f his affections. Night and day she thought 

and Areas. an( j pi anne d ? until she devised a species of re- 
venge which seemed adequate. The graceful girl was suddenly- 
bereft of speech, changed into a rough, ungainly bear, and driven 
out into the solitudes of the great forests, which were from that 
time forth to be her home. Jupiter vainly sought his missing 
ladylove, and it was only long afterward that he discovered her 
and her little bear son Areas. In pity for all they had suffered, 
he transferred them both to the sky, where they are still known 
as the constellations of the Great and Little Bear. 

Juno, like her husband, had also her special attendant, Iris 

(the Rainbow), whom she frequently employed as messenger, — a 

Juno's task which this deity accomplished with as much 

attendant. celerity as Mercury. Her flight through the air 
was so rapid, that she was seldom seen ; and no one would have 
known she had passed, had it not been for the brilliant trail her 
many-colored robe left behind her in the sky. 

"Like fiery clouds, that flush with ruddy glare, 
Or Iris, gliding through the purple air; 
When loosely girt her dazzling mantle flows, 
And 'gainst the sun in arching colors glows." 

Flaccus (Elton's tr.). 

Juno is the mother of Mars, Hebe, and Vulcan, and is always 
described and represented as a beautiful, majestic woman, clad 
in flowing robes, with a diadem and scepter. The peacock and 
cuckoo were both sacred to her, and are therefore often seen at 
her side. 

Her principal places of worship were at Mycenae, Sparta, Argos, 
Rome, and Herseum. She had also numerous other sanctuaries 

Worship scattered throughout the ancient world, and was 

of Juno. worshiped in the same temples as Jupiter. Many 
fine statues of this goddess were found in Greece and Italy, some 




IRIS.— Tito Conti. 



(53) 



54 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

of which are still extant, and serve to show the ancients' exalted 
conception of the Queen of Heaven. 

Juno's festivals, the Matrpnalia, in Rome, were always cele- 
brated with great pomp. Less important feasts were held in 
story of cieobis eacn city where a temple was dedicated to her. 

and Biton. Q n one Q f these occasions an old priestess was very 
anxious to go to the temple at Argos, where she had ministered to 
the goddess for many years, and which she had left only to be 
married. The way was long and dusty : so the aged woman, who 
could no longer walk such a distance, bade her sons, Cieobis and 
Biton, harness her white heifers to her car. The youths hastened 
to do her bidding; but, although they searched diligently, the 
heifers could not be found. Rather than disappoint their aged 
mother, who had set her heart upon attending the services, these 
kind-hearted sons harnessed themselves to the cart, and drew 
her through the city to the temple gates, amid the acclamations 
of all the people, who admired this trait of filial devotion. 

The mother was so touched by her sons' affection, that, as she 
knelt before the altar, she fervently prayed Juno to bestow upon 
them the greatest boon in her power. At the conclusion of the 
services the ex-priestess went into the portico, where her sons 
had thrown themselves to rest after their unwonted exertions; 
but instead of finding them merely asleep, as she expected, she 
found them dead. The Queen of Heaven had transported 
them while asleep to the Elysian Fields, the place of endless 
bliss, where such as they enjoyed eternal life. 



CHAPTER IV. 



MINERVA. 



Although immortal, the gods were not exempt from physical 
pain. One day Jupiter suffered intensely from a sudden head- 
ache, and, in hopes that some mode of alleviation B irth of 
would be devised, he summoned all the gods to Minerva. 
Olympus. Their united efforts were vain, however; and even 
the remedies suggested by Apollo, god of medicine, proved ineffi- 
cacious. Unwilling, or perchance unable, to endure the racking 
pain any longer, Jupiter bade one of his sons, Vulcan, cleave 
his head open with an ax. With cheerful alacrity the dutiful 
god obeyed ; and no sooner was the operation performed, than 
Minerva (Pallas, Athene) sprang out of her father's head, full- 
grown, clad in glittering armor, with poised spear, and chanting 
a triumphant song of victory. 

" From his awful head 
Whom Jove brought forth, in warlike armor drest, 

Golden, all radiant. " 

Shelley. 

The assembled gods recoiled in fear before this unexpected 
apparition, while at the same time a mighty commotion over 
land and sea proclaimed the advent of a great divinity. 

The goddess, who had thus joined the inhabitants of Olympus, 
was destined to preside over peace, defensive war, and needle- 
work, to be the incarnation of wisdom, and to put to flight the 
obscure deity called Dullness, who until then had ruled the world. 

55 




(56) 



MINERVA. 
(National Museum, Naples.) 



MINERVA. 57 

"Ere Pallas issu'd from the Thund'rer's head, 
Dullness o'er all possess'd her ancient right, 
Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night." 

Pope. 

Minerva, having forced her unattractive predecessor to beat an 
ignominious retreat, quickly seized the scepter, and immediately 
began to rule in her stead. 

Not long after her birth, Cecrops, a Phoenician, came to 
Greece, where he founded a beautiful city in the province since 
called Attica. All the gods watched his undertak- Naming 
ing with great interest ; and finally, seeing the town of Athens - 
promised to become a thriving place, each wished the privilege 
of naming it. A general council was held, and after some de- 
liberation most of the gods withdrew their claims. Soon none 
but Minerva and Neptune were left to contend for the coveted 
honor. 

To settle the quarrel without evincing any partiality, Jupiter 
announced that the city would be intrusted to the protection of 
the deity who would create the most useful object for the use of 
man. Raising his trident, Neptune struck the ground, from which 
a noble horse sprang forth, amid the exclamations of wonder and 
admiration of all the spectators. His qualities were duly ex- 
plained by his proud creator, and all thought it quite impossible 
for Minerva to surpass him. Loudly they laughed, and scorn- 
fully too, when she, in her turn, produced an olive tree ; but 
when she had told them the manifold uses to which wood, fruit, 
foliage, twigs, etc., could be applied, and explained that the 
olive was a sign of peace and prosperity, and therefore far more 
desirable than the horse, the emblem of war and wretchedness, 
they could but acknowledge her gift the most serviceable, and 
award her the prize. 

To commemorate this victory over her rival, Minerva gave 
her own name of Athene to the city, whose inhabitants, from 
that time forth, were taught to honor her as their tutelary 
goddess. 



58 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Ever at Jupiter's side, Minerva often aided him by her wise 
counsels, and in times of war borrowed his terrible shield, the 
^Egis, which she flung over her shoulder when she sallied forth 
to give' her support to those whose cause was just. 

" Her shoulder bore 
The dreadful ^Egis with its shaggy brim 
Bordered with Terror. There was Strife, and there 
Was Fortitude, and there was fierce Pursuit, 
And there the Gorgon's head, a ghastly sight, 
Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

The din of battle had no terrors for this doughty goddess, 
and on every occasion she was wont to plunge into the thickest 
of the fray with the utmost valor. 

These virile tastes were, however, fully counterbalanced by 
some exclusively feminine, for Minerva was as deft with her 

Story of needle as with her sword. In Greece there lived 

Arachne. m those olden times a maiden by the name of 
Arachne. Pretty, young, and winsome, she would have been 
loved by all had it not been for her inordinate pride, not in her 
personal advantages, but in her skill as a needlewoman. 

Arachne, in her conceit, fancied that no one could equal the 
work done by her deft fingers, so she boasted far and wide that 
she would have no fear to match her skill with Minerva's. She 
made this remark so loudly and so frequently, that the goddess was 
finally annoyed, and left her seat in high Olympus to come down 
upon earth and punish the maiden. In the guise of an old 
crone, she entered Arachne's house, seated herself, and began 
a conversation. In a few minutes the maiden had resumed 
her usual strain, and renewed her rash boast. Minerva gently 
advised her to be more modest, lest she should incur the wrath 
of the gods by her presumptuous words ; but Arachne was so 
blinded by her conceit, that she scorned the well-meant warn- 
ing, saucily tossed her head, and declared she wished the god- 
dess would hear her, and propose a contest, in which she would 



MINERVA. 59 

surely be able to prove the truth of her assertions. This insolent 
speech so incensed Minerva, that she cast aside her disguise and 
accepted the challenge. 

Both set up their looms, and began to weave exquisite designs 
in tapestry : Minerva choosing as her subject her contest with 
Neptune ; and Arachne, the kidnapping of Europa. In silence 
the fair weavers worked, and their webs grew apace under their 
practiced fingers. The assembled gods, the horse, the olive tree, 
seemed to live and move under Minerva's flashing shuttle. 

"Emongst these leaves she made a Butterflie, 
With excellent device and wondrous slight, 
Fluttring among the Olives wantonly, 
That seem'd to live, so like it was in sight : 
The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie, 
The silken downe with which his backe is dight, 
His broad outstretched homes, his hayrie thies, 
His glorious colours, and his glistering eies." 

Spenser. 

Arachne, in the mean while, was intent upon her swimming 
bull, against whose broad breast the waves splashed, and upon a 
half-laughing, half-frightened girl, who clung to the bull's horns, 
while the wind played with her flowing tresses and garments. 

"Sweet Europa's mantle blew unclasp'd, 
From off her shoulder backward borne : 
From one hand droop'd a crocus : one hand grasp'd 
The mild bull's golden horn." 

Tennyson. 

The finishing touches all given, each turned to view her 
rival's work, and at the very first glance Arachne was forced to 
acknowledge her failure. To be thus outstripped, after all her 
proud boasts, was humiliating indeed. Bitterly did Arachne now 
repent of her folly ; and in her despair she bound a rope about 
her neck, and hung herself. Minerva saw her discomfited rival 
was about to escape : so she quickly changed her dangling body 



60 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

into a spider, and condemned her to weave and spin without 
ceasing, — a warning to all conceited mortals. 

Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, was widely worshiped. Tem- 
ples and altars without number were dedicated to her ser- 
Worship of vice, the most celebrated of all being the Parthenon 
Minerva. at Athens. Naught .but the ruins of this mighty 
pile now exist ; but they suffice to testify to the beauty of the 
edifice, which served, in turn, as temple, church, mosque, and 
finally as powder magazine. 

"Fair Parthenon ! yet still must Fancy weep 
For thee, thou work of nobler spirits flown. 
Bright, as of old, the sunbeams o'er thee sleep 
In all their beauty still ; — and thine is gone ! 
Empires have sunk since thou wert first revered. 
And varying rites have sanctified thy shrine. 
The dust is round thee of the race that rear'd 
Thy walls; and thou — their fate must soon be thine ! " 

Hemans. 

Statues of Minerva — a beautiful, majestic woman, fully clothed 
and armed — were very numerous. The most celebrated of all, by 
the renowned Greek sculptor Phidias, measured full forty feet in 
height. Festivals were celebrated in honor of Minerva wherever 
her worship was held, — some, the Greek Panathenaea, for in- 
stance, only every four years ; others, such as the Minervalia 
and Quinquatria, every year. At these festivals the Palladium, a 
statue of the goddess, said to have fallen from heaven, was car- 
ried in procession through the city, where the people hailed its 
appearance with joyful cries and songs of praise. 



CHAPTER V. 



APOLLO. 



The most glorious and beautiful among all the gods was Apollo 
(Phoebus, Sol, Helios, Cynthius, Pytheus), god of the sun, of medi- 
cine, music, poetry, and all fine arts. 

" Bright-hair'd Apollo ! — thou who ever art 

A blessing to the world — whose mighty heart 

Forever pours out love, and light, and life ; 

Thou, at whose glance, all things of earth are rife 

With happiness; to whom, in early spring, 

Bright flowers raise up their heads, where'er they cling 

On the steep mountain side, or in the vale 

Are nestled calmly. Thou at whom the pale 

And weary earth looks up, when winter flees, 

With patient gaze : thou for whom wind-stripped trees 

Put on fresh leaves, and drink deep of the light 

That glitters in thine eye : thou in whose bright 

And hottest rays the eagle fills his eye 

With quenchless fire, and far, far up on high 

Screams out his joy to thee, by all the names 

That thou dost bear — whether thy godhead claims 

Phcebus or Sol, or golden-hair'd Apollo, 

Cynthian or Pythian, if thou dost follow 

The fleeing night, oh, hear 

Our hymn to thee, and willingly draw near! " 

Pike. 

Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, or Leto, the god- 
dess of dark nights. Juno's jealousy had been aroused by 
Jupiter's preference for her rival. To avenge herself, she banished 

61 



62 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Latona to earth, and declared that if any one, mortal or immor- 
tal, showed her any pity or gave her any assistance, he would 
incur her lasting resentment. 

After long, painful wanderings on earth, poor Latona, weary 
and parched with thirst, drew near a small pool by the wayside 
to refresh herself ; but, urged by Juno, some reapers bade her 
pass on, and then, seeing she paid no heed to their commands, 
they sprang into the shallow waters, and stirred up the mud at 
the bottom until it was quite unpalatable. With tear-dimmed 
eyes, Latona prayed these cruel men might never leave the spot 
whereon they now stood ; and Jupiter, in answer to her prayer, 
immediately transformed them into huge green frogs, which crea- 
tures have since then showed great preference for muddy pools. 

Driven on once more by Juno's unrelenting hatred, Latona 
finally came to the seashore, where she stretched out imploring 
hands to Neptune, who sent a dolphin to bear her in safety to 
the floating island of Delos, raised in her behalf from the depths 
of the sea. The rocking motion, however, proving disagreeable 
to the goddess, Neptune chained the island fast in the yEgean 
Sea ; and there in that delightful climate, justly praised by poets, 
were born to Jupiter and Latona twin children, Apollo and Diana, 
the divinities of the sun and moon. 

Apollo, having attained manhood, could not avoid the usual 
lot of the gods, as well as of mortal men, — the pangs of love. 

story of They were first inspired by Coronis, a fair maiden, 

Coronis. w ^ k mc Q ec i w ithin his breast an ardent flame. 
The sun god wooed the girl warmly and persistently, and at length 
had the deep satisfaction of seeing his affections returned. His 
bliss, however, proved but fleeting ; for Coronis, reasoning, that, 
if one lover were so delightful, two would be doubly so, secretly 
encouraged another suitor. 

" Flirted with another lover 
(So at least the story goes) 
And was wont to meet him slyly, 
Underneath the blushing rose." 

Saxe. 



APOLLO. 63 

Although so cleverly managed, these trysts could not escape 
the bright eyes of Apollo's favorite bird, the snowy raven, — 
for such was his hue in those early times, — so he flew off in 
haste to his master to report the discovery he had made. Des- 
perate with love and jealousy, Apollo did not hesitate, but, seiz- 
ing his bow and deadly arrows, shot Coronis through the heart. 

The deed was no sooner accomplished, than all his love re- 
turned with tenfold power ; and, hastening to Coronis' side, he 
vainly tried all his remedies (he was god of medicine) to recall 
her to life. 

" The god of Physic 
Had no antidote ; alack ! 
He who took her off so deftly 

Couldn't bring the maiden back ! " 

Saxe. 

Bending over the lifeless body of his beloved one, he bewailed 
his fatal haste, and cursed the bird which had brought him the 
unwelcome tidings of her faithlessness! 

" Then he turned upon the Raven, 
' Wanton babbler ! see thy fate ! 
Messenger of mine no longer, 
Go to Hades with thy prate ! 

" ' Weary Pluto with thy tattle ! 

Hither, monster, come not back; 
And — to match thy disposition — 
Henceforth be thy plumage black ! ' " 

Saxe. 

The only reminder of this unfortunate episode was a young 
son of Apollo and Coronis, yEsculapius (Asklepios), who was 
carefully instructed by Apollo in the healing art. 

rr.1 i- • 1 , , jEsculapius. 

Ine disciples talent was so great, that he soon 
rivaled his master, and even, it is said, recalled the dead to life. 
Of course, these miracles did not long remain concealed from 
Jupiter's all-seeing eye; and he, fearing lest the people would 



64 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

forget him and worship their physician, seized one of his thun- 
derbolts, hurled it at the clever youth, and thus brought to an 
untimely end his brilliant medical career. 

" Then Jove, incensed that man should rise 
From darkness to the upper skies, 
The leech that wrought such healing hurled 
With lightning down to Pluto's world." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

^Esculapius' race was not entirely extinct, however, for he left 
two sons — Machaon and Podalirius, who inherited his medical 
skill — and a daughter, Hygeia, who watched over the health of 
man. 

Maddened with grief at the unexpected loss of his son, Apollo 
would fain have wreaked his vengeance upon the Cyclopes, the 
Admetus and authors of the fatal thunderbolt ; but ere he could 
Aicestis. execute his purpose, Jupiter interfered, and, to pun- 
ish him, banished him to earth, where he entered the service of 
Admetus, King of Thessaly. One consolation alone now remained 
to the exiled god, — his music. His dulcet tones soon won the 
admiration of his companions, and even that of the king, who 
listened to his songs with pleasure, and to reward him gave him 
the position of head shepherd. 

" Then King Admetus, one who had 
Pure taste by right divine, 
Decreed his singing not too bad 
To hear between the cups of wine ; 

" And so, well pleased with being soothed 
Into a sweet half sleep 
Three times his kingly beard he smoothed 
And made him viceroy o'er his sheep." 

Lowell. 

Time passed. Apollo, touched by his master's kindness, wished 
to bestow some favor in his turn, and asked the gods to grant 
Admetus eternal life. His request was complied with, but onljfon 



APOLLO. 65 

condition, that, when the time came which had previously been 
appointed for the good king's death, some one should be found 
willing to die in his stead. This divine decree was reported to 
Alcestis, Admetus' beautiful young wife, who in a passion of self- 
sacrifice offered herself as substitute, and cheerfully gave her 
life for her husband. But immortality was too dearly bought at 
such a price ; and Admetus mourned until Hercules, pitying his 
grief, descended into Hades, and brought her back from the 
tomb. 

"Did not Hercules by force 

Wrest from the guardian Monster of the tomb 

Alcestis, a reanimated Corse, 

Given back to dwell on earth in vernal bloom ? " 

Wordsworth. 

Apollo, after endowing Admetus with immortality, left his ser- 
vice, and went to assist Neptune, who had also been banished 
to earth, to build the walls of Troy. Scorning to The wa ii s of 
perform any menial tasks, the God of Music seated Troy, 

himself near by, and played such inspiring tunes that the stones 
waltzed into place of their own accord. 

Then, his term of exile being ended, he returned to heaven, 
and there resumed his wonted duties. From his exalted posi- 
tion he often cast loving glances down upon men, Apollo slays 
whose life he had shared for a short time, whose Python, 
every privation he had endured ; and, in answer to their prayers, 
he graciously extended his protection over them, and delivered 
them from misfortunes too numerous to mention. Among other 
deeds done for men was the slaying of the monster serpent 
Python, born from the slime and stagnant waters which remained 
upon the surface of the earth after the Deluge. None had dared 
approach the monster; but Apollo fearlessly drew near, and 
slew him with his golden shafts. The victory over the terrible 
Python won for Apollo the surname of Pyth eus (the Slayer), by 
which appellation he was frequently invoked. 

This annihilation of Python is, of course, nothing but an alle- 




(66) 



APOLLO BELVEDERE. 

(Vatican, Rome.) 






APOLLO. 67 

gory, illustrating the sun's power to dry up marshes and stag- 
nant pools, thus preventing the lurking fiend malaria from making 
further inroads. 

Apollo has always been a favorite subject for painters and 
sculptors. The most beautiful statue of him is the Apollo Belve- 
dere^ which represents him at the moment of his conquest of the 
Python. 

Although successful in war, Apollo was very unfortunate indeed 
in friendship. One day he came down to earth to enjoy the 
society of a youth of mortal birth, named Hya- Apollo and 
cinthus. To pass the time agreeably, the friends Hyacmthus. 
began a game of quoits, but had not played long, before Zephy- 
rus, god of the south wind, passing by, saw them thus occu- 
pied. Jealous of Apollo, for he too loved Hyacinthus, Zephy- 
rus blew Apollo's quoit aside so violently that it struck his 
playmate, and felled him to the ground. Vainly Apollo strove 
to check the stream of blood which flowed from the ghastly 
wound. Hyacinthus was already beyond aid, and in a few sec- 
onds breathed his last in his friend's arms. To keep' some re- 
minder of the departed, Apollo changed the fallen blood drops 
into clusters of flowers, ever since called, from the youth's name, 
hyacinths ; while Zephyrus, perceiving too late the fatal effect 
of his jealousy, hovered inconsolable over the sad spot, and 
tenderly caressed the dainty flowers which had sprung from his 
friend's lifeblood. 

" Zephyr penitent, 
Who now, ere Phoebus mounts the firmament, 
Fondles the flower." 

Keats. 

To divert his mind from the mournful fate of Hyacinthus, 
Apollo sought the company of Cyparissus, a clever young hunter ; 
but this friendship was also doomed to a sad end, Apollo and 
for Cyparissus, having accidentally killed Apollo's Cyparissus. 
pet stag, grieved so sorely over this mischance, that he pined away, 
and finally died. Apollo then changed his lifeless clay into a 



68 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

cypress tree, which he declared should henceforth be used 
to shade the graves of those who had been greatly beloved 
through life. 

Some time after this episode, Apollo encountered in the for- 
est a beautiful nymph by the name of Daphne, the daughter of 

Apollo and the river god Peneus. Love at first sight was the 
Daphne. immediate consequence on Apollo's part, and he 
longed to speak to the maid and win her affections. He first 
tried to approach her gently, so as not to frighten her ; but, before 
he could reach her side, she fled, and he, forgetful of all else, 
pursued her flying footsteps. As he ran, he called aloud to 
Daphne, entreating her to pause were it only for a moment, and 
promising to do her no harm. 

"Abate, fair fugitive, abate thy speed, 
Dismiss thy fears, and turn thy beauteous head; 
With kind regard a panting lover view ; 
Less swiftly fly, less swiftly I'll pursue : 
Pathless, alas! and rugged is the ground, 
Some stone may hurt thee, or some thorn may wound. 

" You fly, alas ! not knowing whom you fly ; 
No ill-bred swain, nor rustic clown, am I." 

Prior. 

The terrified girl paid no heed to promises or entreaties, but 
sped on until her strength began to fail, and she perceived, that, 
notwithstanding her utmost efforts, her pursuer was gaining upon 
her. Panting and trembling, she swerved aside, and rushed down 
to the edge of her father's stream, calling out loudly for his pro- 
tection. No sooner had she reached the water's edge, than her 
feet seemed rooted to the ground. A rough bark rapidly inclosed 
her quivering limbs, while her trembling hands were filled with 
leaves. Her father had granted her prayer by changing her into 
a laurel tree. 

Apollo, coming up just then with outstretched arms, clasped 
nothing but a rugged tree trunk. At first he could not realize 
that the fair maiden had vanished from his sight forever ; but, 




APOLLO AND DAPHNE.— Bernini. 
( Villa Borghese, Rome.) 



(69) 



70 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

when the truth dawned upon him, he declared that from hence- 
forth the laurel would be considered his favorite tree, and that 
prizes awarded to poets, musicians, etc., should consist of a 
wreath of its glossy foliage. 

" I espouse thee for my tree : 
Be thou the prize of honor and renown ; 
The deathless poet, and the poem, crown; 
Thou shalt the Roman festivals adorn, 
And, after poets, be by victors worn." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

This story of Apollo and Daphne was an illustration of the 
effect produced by the sun (Apollo) upon the dew (Daphne). 
The sun is captivated by its beauty, and longs to view it more 
closely ; the dew, afraid of its ardent lover, flies, and, when its 
fiery breath touches it, vanishes, leaving nothing but verdure in 
the selfsame spot 'where but a moment before it sparkled in all 
its purity. 

The ancients had many analogous stories, allegories of the sun 
and dew, amongst others the oft-quoted tale of Cephalus and 
Cephaius and Procris. Cephalus was a hunter, who fell in love 
Procris. with, and married one of Diana's nymphs, Procris. 
She brought him as dowry a hunting dog, Lelaps, and a javelin 
warranted never to miss its mark. The newly married pair were 
perfectly happy ; but their content was viewed with great dis- 
pleasure by Eos (Aurora), goddess of dawn, who had previously 
tried, but without success, to win Cephalus' affections, and who 
now resolved to put an end to the bliss she envied. 

All day long Cephalus hunted in the forest, and, when the 
evening shadows began to fall, joined his loving wife in their 
cozy dwelling. Her marriage gifts proved invaluable, as Lelaps 
was swift of foot, and tirelessfm the chase. One day, to test his 
powers, the gods from Olympus watched him course a fox, a 
special creation of theirs ; and so well were both animals matched 
in speed and endurance, that the chase bade fair to end only 
with the death of one or both of the participants. The gods, in 



APOLLO. 71 

their admiration for the fine run, declared the animals deserved 
to be remembered forever, and changed them into statues, which 
retained all the spirited action of the living creatures. 

In the warm season, when the sun became oppressive, Cepha- 
lus was wont to rest during the noon hour in some shady spot, 
and as he flung himself down upon the short grass he often called 
for a breeze, bidding it cool his heated brow. 

"A hunter once in that grove reclin'd, 

To shun the noon's bright eye, 
And oft he woo'd the wandering wind, 

To cool his brow with its sigh. 
While mute lay ev'n the wild bee's hum, 

Nor breath could stir the aspen's hair, 
His song was still, ' Sweet air, oh come ! ' 

While Echo answer'd, ' Come, sweet air ! ' " 

Moore. 

Eos heard of this habit, and was fully aware that he merely 
addressed the passing wind ; nevertheless she sought Procris, and 
informed her that her husband was faithless, and paid court to a 
fair maid, who daily met him at noonday in the forest solitudes. 
Procris, blinded by sudden jealousy, gave credit to the false 
story, and immediately resolved to follow her husband. 

The morning had well-nigh passed, and the sun was darting 
its perpendicular rays upon the earth, when Cephalus came to 
his usual resort, near which Procris was concealed. 

" Sweet air, oh come ! " the hunter cried : and Procris, cut to 
the heart by what she considered an infallible proof of his infi- 
delity, sank fainting to the ground. The rustle caused by her 
swoon attracted Cephalus' attention. Under the mistaken im- 
pression that some wild beast was lurking there, ready to pounce 
upon him, he cast his unerring javelin into the very midst of 
the thicket, and pierced the faithful bosom of his wife. Her dying 
moan brought him with one bound to her side ; ere she breathed 
her last, an explanation was given and received ; and Pro- 
cris died with the blissful conviction that her husband had not 



72 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

deserved her unjust suspicions, and that his heart was all her 
own. 

There are, of course, many other versions of these selfsame 
myths ; but one and all are intended to illustrate the same natural 
phenomena, and are subject to the same interpretation. 

Apollo's principal duty was to drive the sun chariot. Day after 
day he rode across the azure sky, nor paused on his way till 
he reached the golden boat awaiting him at the end of his long 
day's journey, to bear him in safety back to his eastern palace. 

" Helios all day long his allotted labor pursues; 

No rest to his passionate heart and his panting horses given, 
From the moment when roseate-fingered Eos kindles the dews 
And spurns the salt sea-floors, ascending silvery the heaven, 
Until from the hand of Eos Hesperos, trembling, receives 
His fragrant lamp, and faint in the twilight hangs it up." 

Owen Meredith. 

A fair young maiden, named jClytie, watched Apollo's daily 
journey with strange persistency ; and from the moment when he 
left his palace in the morning until he came to the 
far western sea in the evening, she followed his 
course with loving eyes, thought of the golden-haired god, and 
longed for his love. But, in spite of all this fervor, she never won 
favor in Apollo's eyes, and languished until the gods, in pity, 
changed her into a sunflower. 

Even in this altered guise, Clytie could not forget the object 
of her love ; and now, a fit emblem of constancy, she still follows 
with upturned face the glowing orb in its daily journey across 
the sky. 

"No, the heart that has truly lov'd never forgets, 
But as truly loves on to the close ; 
As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets 
The same look which she turn'd when he rose." 

Moore. 

A young shepherd, lying in the cool grass one summer after- 
noon, became aware of a distant sound of music, so sweet, so 



APOLLO. 73 

thrilling, that he fairly held his breath to listen. These weird, 
delightful tones were produced by Minerva, who, seated by the 
banks of a small stream, was trying her skill on Apoiio and 
the flute. As she bent over the limpid waters, she Marsyas, 
suddenly beheld her puffed cheeks and distorted features, and 
impetuously threw the instrument into the water, vowing never 
to touch it again. 

" Hence, ye banes of beauty, hence ! 
What ? shall I my charms disgrace 
By making such an odious face?" 

Melanippides. 

The sudden break in the entrancing music caused the youth, 
Marsyas, to start from his abstraction and look about him. 
He then perceived the rejected flute sailing gently down the 
stream past his feet. To seize the instrument and convey it to 
his lips was the work of an instant; and no sooner had he 
breathed into it, than the magic strain was renewed. No recol- 
lection of his pastoral duties could avail to tear Marsyas away 
from his new-found treasure ; and so rapidly did his skill in- 
crease, that he became insufferably conceited, and boasted he 
could rival Apollo, whom he actually challenged to a musical 
contest. 

Intending to punish him for his presumption, Apollo accepted 
the challenge, and selected the nine Muses — patronesses of 
poetry and music — as umpires. Marsyas was first called upon 
to exhibit his proficiency, and charmed all by his melodious 
strains. 

" So sweet that alone the south wind knew, 
By summer hid in green reeds' jointed cells 
To wait imprisoned for the south wind's spells, 
From out his reedy flute the player drew, 
And as the music clearer, louder grew, 
Wild creatures from their winter nooks and dells, 
Sweet furry things with eyes like starry wells, 
Crept wanderingly out ; they thought the south wind blew. 



74 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

With instant joyous trust, they flocked around 

His feet who such a sudden summer made, 

His eyes, more kind than men's, enthralled and bound 

Them there." 

H. H. 

The Muses bestowed much deserved praise, and then bade 
Apollo surpass his rival if he could. No second command was 
necessary. The god seized his golden lyre, and poured forth im- 
passioned strains. Before pronouncing their decision, the Muses 
resolved to give both musicians a second hearing, and again both 
strove ; but on this occasion Apollo joined the harmonious ac- 
cents of his godlike voice to the tones of his instrument, causing 
all present, and the very Muses too, to hail him as conqueror. 

"And, when now the westering sun 
Touch'd the hills, the strife was done, 
And the attentive Muses said : 
' Marsyas, thou art vanquished ! ' " 

Matthew Arnold. 

According to a previous arrangement, — that the victor should 
have the privilege of flaying his opponent alive, — Apollo bound 
Marsyas to a tree, and slew him cruelly. As soon as the moun- 
tain nymphs heard of their favorite's sad death, they began to 
weep, and shed such torrents of tears, that they formed a new 
river, called Marsyas, in memory of the sweet musician. 

The mournful termination of this affair should have served as 

a warning to all rash mortals. Such was not the case, however ; 

Apoiio an d shortly after, Apollo found himself engaged in 

and Pan. another musical contest with Pan, King Midas' 
favorite flute player. Upon this occasion Midas himself retained 
the privilege of awarding the prize, and, blinded by partiality, 
gave it to Pan, in spite of the marked inferiority of his playing. 
Apollo was so incensed by this injustice, that he determined to 
show his opinion of the dishonest judge by causing generous-sized 
ass's ears to grow on either side of his head. 



APOLLO. 75 

" The god of wit, to show his grudge, 
Clapt asses' ears upon the judge; 
A goodly pair, erect and wide, 
Which he could neither gild nor hide." 

Swift. 

Greatly dismayed by these new ornaments, Midas retreated 
into the privacy of his own apartment, and sent in hot haste for 
a barber, who, after having been sworn to secrecy, was admitted, 
and bidden to fashion a huge wig, which would hide the deform- 
ity from the eyes of the king's subjects. The barber acquitted 
himself deftly, and, before he was allowed to leave the palace, was 
again charged not to reveal the secret, under penalty of imme- 
diate death. 

But a secret is difficult to keep ; and this one, of the king's 
long ears, preyed upon the poor barber's spirits, so that, in- 
capable of enduring silence longer, he sallied out into a field, 
dug a deep hole, and shouted down into the bosom of the 
earth, — 

" ' King Midas wears 
(These eyes beheld them, these) such ass's ears ! ' " 

Horace. 

Unspeakably relieved by this performance, the barber returned 
home. Time passed. Reeds grew over the hole, and, as they 
bent before the wind which rustled through their leaves, they 
were heard to murmur, " Midas, King Midas, has ass's ears ! " 
and all who passed by caught the whisper, and noised it abroad, 
so that the secret became the general topic of all conversations. 

As Apollo had frequent opportunities of meeting the Muses, 
it is not to be wondered at that he fell a victim to the charms of 
the fair Calliope, who, in her turn, loved him pas- Orpheus and 
sionately, and even wrote verses in his honor. Eurydice. 
This being the state of her feelings, she readily consented to their 
union, and became the proud mother of Orpheus, who inherited 
his parents' musical and poetical gifts. 



76 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" Orpheus with his lute made trees, 
And the mountain-tops, that freeze, 

Bow themselves when he did sing: 
To his music plants and flowers 
Ever sprung; as sun and showers 

There had made a lasting spring. 

" Everything that heard him play, 
Even the billows of the sea, 

Hung their heads, and then lay by." 

Shakespeare. 

This talent waxed greater as the years passed by, and became 
so remarkable, that the youth's fame was very widespread ; and 
when he fell in love with Eurydice, he brought all his skill into 
play to serenade her, and wooed her with voice and glance and 
with tender, passionate music. Eurydice was touched by his 
courtship, and ere long requited the love lavished upon her by 
conferring her hand upon Orpheus. 

Shortly after their union, while walking alone in the fields, the 
bride encountered a youth named Aristaeus, whose bold admira- 
tion proved so distasteful, that she fled from him as quickly as 
possible. In her haste she accidentally trod upon a venomous 
serpent lurking in the long grass, which immediately turned upon 
her, and bit her heel. A short period of agonized suffering 
ensued ; then Eurydice died, and her spirit was conducted down 
into the gloomy realms of Pluto, leaving Orpheus broken-hearted. 

Plaintive, heartrending laments now replaced the joyous wed- 
ding strains ; but even the charms of music failed to make life 
endurable, and Orpheus wandered off to Olympus, where he so 
piteously implored Jupiter to restore his wife to his longing arms, 
that the great god's heart was moved to compassion. He gave 
him permission, therefore, to go down into the Infernal Regions 
to seek his wife, but warned him at the same time that the under- 
taking was perilous in the extreme. 

Nothing daunted, Orpheus hastened to the entrance of Hades, 
and there saw the fierce three-headed dog, named Cerberus, who 



APOLLO. 77 

guarded the gate, and would allow no living being to enter, nor 
any spirit to pass out of Hades. As soon as this monster saw 
Orpheus, he began to growl and bark savagely, to frighten him 
away ; but Orpheus merely paused, and began to play such melt- 
ing chords, that Cerberus' rage was appeased, and he finally 
allowed him to pass into Pluto's dark kingdom. 

The magic sounds penetrated even into the remote depths 
of Tartarus, where the condemned suspended their toil for a 
moment, and hushed their sighs and groans to listen. 

" E'en Tantalus ceased from trying to sip 
The cup that flies from his arid lip ; 
Ixion, too, the magic could feel, 
And, for a moment, blocked his wheel; 
Poor Sisyphus, doomed to tumble and toss 
The notable stone that gathers no moss, 
Let go his burden, and turned to hear 
The charming sounds that ravished his ear." 

Saxe. 

No living being had ever before penetrated thus into the Infernal 
Regions, and Orpheus wandered on until he came to the throne of 
Pluto, king of these realms, whereon the stern ruler sat in silence, 
his wife Proserpina beside him, and the relentless Fates at his feet. 
Orpheus made known his errand in operatic guise, and suc- 
ceeded in moving the royal pair to tears, whereupon they gra- 
ciously consented to restore Eurydice to life and to her fond 
husband's care. 

" Hell consented 
To hear the Poet's prayer : 
Stern Proserpine relented, 
And gave him back the fair. 
Thus song could prevail 
O'er death, and o'er hell, 
A conquest how hard and how glorious ! 
Tho' fate had fast bound her 
With Styx nine times round her, 

Yet music and love were victorious." 

Pope. 




(78; 



ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE — Beyschlag. 



APOLLO. 79 

But one condition was imposed before he was allowed to de- 
part ; i.e., that he should leave the Infernal Regions without 
turning once to look into his beloved wife's face. 

Orpheus accepted the condition joyfully, and wended his way 
out of Hades, looking neither to the right nor to the left, but 
straight before him ; and as he walked he wondered whether 
Eurydice were changed by her sojourn in th^se rayless depths. 
His longing to feast his eyes once more upon her loved features 
made him forget the condition imposed by Pluto, and turn just 
before he reached the earth ; but he only beheld the vanishing 
form of the wife he had so nearly snatched from the grave. 

All was now over. He had tried and failed. No hope re- 
mained. In despair, the lonely musician retreated to the forest 
solitudes, and there played his mournful laments, — 

" Such strains as would have won the ear 
Of Pluto, to have quite set free 
His half- regained Eurydice.'' 

Milton. 

But there were none to hear except the trees, winds, and wild 
beasts in the forest, who strove in their dumb way to comfort 
him as he moved restlessly about, seeking a solace for his burst- 
ing heart. At times it seemed to his half-delirious fancy that 
he could discern Eurydice wandering about in the dim distance, 
with the selfsame mournful expression of which he had caught 
a mere glimpse as she drifted reluctantly back into the dark 
shadows of Hades. 

" At that elm-vista's end I trace 
Dimly thy sad leave-taking face, 
Eurydice ! Eurydice ! 
The tremulous leaves repeat to me 
Eurydice ! Eurydice ! " 

Lowell. 

At last there dawned a day when some Bacchantes overtook 
him in the forest, and bade him play some gay music, so they 



80 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

might indulge in a dance. But poor Orpheus, dazed with grief, 
could not comply with their demands ; and the sad notes which 
alone he now could draw from his instrument so enraged the 
merrymakers, that they tore him limb from limb, and cast his 
mangled remains into the Hebrus River. 

As the poet- musician's head floated down the stream, the 
pallid lips still murmured, " Eurydice ! " for even in death he 
could not forget his wife ; and, as his spirit drifted on to join her, 
he incessantly called upon her name, until the brooks, trees, and 
fountains he had loved so well caught up the longing cry, and 
repeated it again and again. 

Nothing was now left to remind mortals of the sweet singer 
who had thus perished, except his lute, which the gods placed 
in the heavens as a bright constellation, Lyra, also called by 
Orpheus' name. 

Another musician celebrated in mythological annals is Am- 
phion, whose skill was reported to be but little inferior to 
Orpheus'. 

"'Tis said he had a tuneful tongue, 

Such happy intonation, 
Wherever he sat down and sung 

He left a small plantation ; 
Wherever in a lonely grove 

He set up his forlorn pipes, 
The gouty oak began to move, 

And flounder into hornpipes." 

Tennyson. 

This musician, a son of Jupiter and Antiope, had a twin 
brother Zethus, who, however, shared none of his artistic tastes, 
story of Hearing that their mother Antiope had been 
Amphion. repudiated by her second husband, Lycus, so that 
he might marry another wife by the name of Dirce, these youths 
hastened off to Thebes, where they found the state of affairs 
even worse than represented; for poor Antiope was now im- 
prisoned, and subject to her rival's daily cruel treatment. 




FARNESE BULL. 
( National Museum, Naples. ) 



(81) 



82 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Zethus and Amphion, after besieging and taking the city, put 
Lycus to death, and, binding Dirce to the tail of a wild bull, let 
him loose to drag her over briers and stones until she perished. 
This punishment inflicted upon Dirce is the subject of the 
famous group once belonging to the Farnese family, and now 
called by their name. 

Amphion's musical talent was of great use to him when he 
subsequently became King of Thebes, and wished to fortify his 
capital by building a huge rampart all around it ; for the stones 
moved in rhythmic time, and, of their own volition, marched into 
their places. 

Second to him only, in musical fame, was Arion, the musician 

who won untold wealth by his talent. On one occasion, having 

gone Jo Sic ily to take part in a musical contest 

which had attracted thither the most famous 

musicians from all points of the compass, he resolved to return 

home by sea. 

Unfortunately for him, the vessel upon which he had embarked 
was manned by an avaricious, piratical crew, who, having heard 
of his treasures, resolved to murder him to obtain possession 
of them. He was allowed but scant time to prepare for death ; 
but, just as they were about to toss him overboard, he craved 
permission to play for the last time. The pirates consented. 
His' clear notes floated over the sea, and allured a school of 
dolphins, which came and played about the ship. The pirates, 
terrified by the power of his music, and in dread lest their hearts 
should be moved, quickly laid hands upon him, and hurled him 
into the water, where he fell upon the broad back of a dolphin, 
who bore him in safety to the nearest shore. 

" Then was there heard a most celestiall sound 
Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew 
Before the spouse : that was Arion crownd ; 
Who, playing on his harpe, unto him drew 
The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew, 
That even yet the Dolphin, which him bore 



APOLLO. 83 

Through the Agean seas from Pirates vew, 

Stood still by him astonisht at his lore, 

And all the raging seas for joy forgot to rore." 

, Spenser. 

To commemorate this miracle, the gods placed Arion's harp, 
together with the dolphin, in the heavens, where they form a 
constellation. 

In the sunny plains of Greece there once dwelt Clymene, a 
fair nymph. She was not alone, however, for her golden-haired 
little son Phaeton was there to gladden her heart with all his 
childish graces. 

Early in the morning, when the sun's bright orb first appeared 
above the horizon, Clymene would point it out to her boy, and 
tell him that his father, Apollo, was setting out for story of 
his daily drive. Clymene so often entertained her Phaeton, 
child with stories of his father's beauty and power, that at last 
Phaeton became conceited, and acquired a habit of boasting 
rather loudly of his divine parentage. His playmates, after a 
time, wearied of his arrogance, and, to avoid the constant repeti- 
tion of his vain speeches, bade him show some proof of his divine 
origin , or keep his peace. 

Stung to the quick by some insolent taunts which they added, 
Phaeton hastened to his mother, and begged her to direct him to 
his father, that he might obtain the desired proof. Clymene im- 
mediately gave him all necessary information, and bade him 
make haste if he would reach his father's palace in the far east 
before the sun chariot passed out of its portals to accomplish its 
daily round. Directly eastward Phaeton journeyed, nor paused 
to rest until he came in view of the golden and jeweled pin- 
nacles and turrets of his father's abode. 

"The sun's bright palace, on high columns rais'd 
With burnish'd gold and flaming jewels blaz'd, 
The folding gates diffus'd a silver light, 
And with a milder gleam refresh'd the sight." 



84 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Quite undazzled by this splendor, the youth still pressed on, 
straining his eyes to catch the first glimpse of the godly father, 
whose stately bearing and radiant air his mother had so enthusi- 
astically described. 

Apollo, from his golden throne, had watched the boy's approach, 
and, as he drew nearer, recognized him as his own offspring. 
Timidly now Phaeton advanced to the steps of his father's throne, 
and humbly waited for permission to make his errand known. 
Apollo addressed him graciously, called him his son, and bade 
him speak without fear. In a few minutes the youth impetu- 
ously poured out the whole . story, and watched with pleasure 
the frown which gathered on Apollo's brow when he repeated 
his companions' taunts. As soon as he had finished his tale, 
Apollo exclaimed that he would grant him any proof he wished, 
and confirmed these words by a solemn oath. 

" ' By the terrible Styx ! ' said the angry sire, 
While his eyes flashed volumes of fury and fire, 
' To prove your reviler an infamous liar, 
I swear I will grant you whate'er you desire ! ' " 

Saxe. 

This oath was the most solemn any god could utter, and in 
case of perjury he was obliged to drink the waters of this river, 
which would lull Him into senseless stupidity for one whole year. 
During nine years following he was deprived of his office^ 
banished from Olympus, and not allowed to taste of the life-giving 
nectar and ambrosia. 

With a flash of triumph in his dark eyes, Phaeton, hearing this 
oath, begged permission to drive the sun chariot that very day, 
stating that all the world would be sure to notice his exalted 
position, and that none would ever dare doubt his veracity after 
such a signal mark of Apollo's favor. 

When the god heard this presumptuous request, he started 
back in dismay, for he alone could control the four fiery steeds 
which drew the golden-wheeled sun car. Patiently he then ex- 



APOLLO. 85 

plained to Phaeton the great danger of such an undertaking, 
earnestly begging him to select some other, less fatal boon. 

" Choose out a gift from seas, or earth, or skies, 
For open to your wish all nature lies; 
Only decline this one unequal task, 
For 'tis a mischief, not a gift, you ask." 



But Phaeton, who, like many another conceited youth, fancied 
he knew better than his sire, would not give heed to the kindly 
warning, and persisted in his request, until Apollo, who had sworn 
the irrevocable oath, was obliged to fulfill his promise. 

The hour had already come when the Sun usually began his 
daily journey. The pawing, champing steeds were ready ; rosy- 
fingered Aurora only awaited her master's signal to fling wide the 
gates of morn ; and the Hours were ready to escort him as usual. 

Apollo, yielding to pressure, quickly anointed his son with a 
cooling essence to preserve him from the burning sunbeams, 
gave him the necessary directions for his journey, and repeatedly 
and anxiously cautioned him to watch his steeds with the utmost 
care, and to use the whip but sparingly, as they were inclined to 
be very restive. 

The youth, who had listened impatiently to cautions and direc- 
tions, then sprang into the seat, gathered up the reins, signaled 
to Aurora to fling the gates wide, and dashed out of the eastern 
palace with a flourish. 

For an hour or two Phaeton bore in mind his father's principal 
injunctions, and all went well; but later, elated by his exalted 
position, he became very reckless, drove faster and faster, and 
soon lost his way. In finding it again he drove so close to 
the earth, that all the plants shriveled up, the fountains and 
rivers were dried in their mossy beds, the smoke began to rise 
from the parched and blackened earth, and even the people of the 
land over which he was passing were burned black, — a hue re- 
tained by their descendants to this day. 
6 



APOLLO. 87 

Terrified at what he had done, Phaeton whipped up his steeds, 
and drove so far away, that all the vegetation which had sur- 
vived the intense heat came to an untimely end on account of 
the sudden cold. 

The cries of mortals rose in chorus, and their clamors became 
so loud and importunate, that they roused Jupiter from a pro- 
found sleep, and caused him to look around to discover their 
origin. One glance of his all-seeing eye sufficed to reveal the 
damaged earth and the youthful charioteer. How had a beard- 
less youth dared to mount the sun chariot ? Jupiter could 
scarcely credit what he saw. In his anger he vowed he would 
make the rash mortal expiate his presumption by immediate 
death. He therefore selected the deadliest thunderbolt in his 
arsenal, aimed it with special care, and hurled it at Phaeton, 
whose burned and blackened corpse fell from his lofty seat down 
into the limpid waves of the Eridanus River. 

" And Phaethon, caught in mid career, 
And hurled from the Sun to utter sunlessness, 
Like a flame-bearded comet, with ghastliest hiss, 
Fell headlong in the amazed Eridanus, 
Monarch of streams, who on the Italian fields 
Let loose, and far beyond his flowery lips 
Foam-white, ran ruinous to the Adrian deep." 

WORSLEY. 

The tidings of his death soon reached poor Clymene, who 
mourned her only son, and refused to be comforted ; while the 
Heliades, Phaeton'a sisters, three in number, — 

, ^ J ^ ■ -, The Heliades. 

rnaetusa, Lampetia, and ^Egle, — spent their days 
by the riverside, shedding tears, wringing their white hands, and 
bewailing their loss, until the gods, in pity, transformed them 
into poplar trees, and their tears into amber, which substance 
was supposed by the ancients to flow from the poplar trees 
like teardrops. Phaeton's intimate friend, Cycnus, piously 
collected his charred remains, and gave them an honorable 



88 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

burial. In his grief he continually haunted the scene of his 
friend's death, and repeatedly plunged into the river, in the hope 
of finding some more scattered fragments, until the gods 
changed him into a swan ; which bird is ever sailing mournfully 
about, and frequently plunging his head into the water to con- 
tinue his sad search. 

Apollo, as the dearly loved leader of the nine Muses, — daugh- 
ters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory, — was sur- 
named Musagetes. 

''Whom all the Muses loved, not one alone; 
Into his hands they put the lyre of gold, 

And, crowned with sacred laurel at their fount, 
Placed him as Musagetes on their throne." 

Longfellow. 

Although the Muses united at times in one grand song, they 
had each separate duties assigned them. 

Clio, the Muse of history, recorded all great deeds and heroic 
actions, with the names of their authors, and was therefore gen- 

The nine erally represented with a laurel wreath and a book 
Muses. an( j stylus, to indicate her readiness to note all 
that happened to mortal men or immortal gods. 

Euterpe, the graceful " Mistress of Song," was represented 
with a flute, and garlands of fragrant flowers. 

Thalia, Muse of pastoral poetry, held a shepherd's crook and 
mask, and wore a crown of wild flowers. 

" Mild pastoral Muse ! 
That, to the sparkling crown Urania wears, 
And to her sister Clio's laurel wreath, 
Preferr'st a garland culled from purple heath ! " 

Wordsworth. 

Her graver sister, Melpomene, who presided over tragedy, 
wore a crown of gold, and wielded a dagger and a scepter; while 
Terpsichore, the light-footed Muse of dancing, was represented 
treading an airy measure. 




(8 9 > 



go CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Erato, who preferred lyric poetry to all other styles of composi- 
tion, was pictured with a lyre ; and Polyhymnia, Muse of rhetoric, 
held a scepter to show that eloquence rules with resistless sway. 

Calliope, Muse of heroic poetry, also wore a laurel crown ; and 
Urania, Muse of astronomy, held mathematical instruments, in- 
dicative of her love of the exact sciences. 

This glorious sisterhood was wont to assemble on Mount Par- 
nassus or on Mount Helicon, to hold their learned debates on 
poetry, science, and music. 

Apollo's favorite attendant was Eos (Aurora), the fair goddess 
of dawn, whose rose-tipped ringers opened wide the eastern 
gates of pearl, and who then flashed across the sky to announce 
her master's coming. 

" Hail, gentle Dawn ! mild blushing goddess, hail ! 
Rejoiced I see thy purple mantle spread 
O'er half the skies; gems pave thy radiant way, 
And orient pearls from every shrub depend." 

SOMERVILLE. 

This dainty goddess loved and married Tithonus, Prince of 

Troy, and won from the gods the boon of everlasting life to 

confer upon him. Alas! however, she forgot to 

Aurora and ask at the same time for continued youth ; and 
her husband grew older and older, and finally be- 
came so decrepit, that he was a burden to her. Knowing he 
would never die, and wishing to rid herself of his burdensome 
presence, she changed him into a grasshopper. 

At this time the goddess fell in love with Cephalus, the young 
hunter, and frequently visited him on Mount Hymettus. 

" 'Come,' Phoebus cries, 'Aurora, come — too late 
Thou linger'st slumbering with thy wither'd mate ! 
Leave him, and to Hymettus' top repair ! 
Thy darling Cephalus expects thee there ! ' 
The goddess, with a blush, her love betrays, 
But mounts, and, driving rapidly, obeys." 

Keats. 



APOLLO. 91 

The principal temples dedicated to the worship of Apollo were 
at Delos, his birthplace, and at Delphi, where a priestess called 
Pythia gave out mysterious oracles purporting to worship 
have come from the god. The ancients every- ofApoiio. 
where could not fail to recognize the sun's kindly influence and 
beneficent power, and were therefore ever ready to worship Apollo. 

" I marvel not, O sun ! that unto thee 
In adoration man should bow the knee, 

And pour his prayers of mingled awe and love; 
For like a God thou art, and on thy way 
Of glory sheddest with benignant ray, 

Beauty, and life, and joyance from above." 

SOUTHEY. 

The most renowned among the numerous festivals held in 
honor of Apollo were, without exception, the Pythian Games, 
celebrated at Delphi every three years. 

A manly, beardless youth of great beauty, Apollo is generally 
crowned with laurels, and bears either a bow or a lyre. 

" The Lord of the unerring bow, 
The God of life, and poesy, and light — 
The Sun in human limbs array'd, and brow 
All radiant from his triumph in the fight; 
The shaft hath just been shot — the arrow bright 
With an immortal's vengeance ; in his eye 
And nostril beautiful disdain, and might 
And majesty, flash their full lightnings by, 
Developing in that one glance the Deity." 

Byron. 

One of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the famous 
Colossus of Rhodes, was a statue of Apollo, his head encircled 
with a halo of bright sunbeams, and his legs spread wide apart; 
to allow vessels, with all their sails spread, to pass in and out of! 
the harbor, whose entrance he guarded for many a year. 







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(92) 



DIANA OF VERSAILLES. 
( Louvre, Paris. ) 



CHAPTER VI, 



Diana (Cynthia, Phoebe, Selene, Artemis), the fair twin sis- 
ter of Apollo, was not only goddess of the moon, but also of 
the chase. 

" 'Goddess serene, transcending every star! 
Queen of the sky, whose beams are seen afar ! 
By night heaven owns thy sway, by day the grove, 
When, as chaste Dian, here thou deign'st to rove.'" 

Byron. 

In works of art this goddess is generally represented as a beau- 
tiful maiden, clad in a short hunting dress, armed with a bow, a 
quiver full of arrows at her side, and a crescent on her well- 
v poised head. 

Proud of her two children, Apollo and Diana, Latona boasted 
far and wide that such as hers had never been, for they excelled 
all others in beauty, intelligence, and power. 

The daughter of Tantalus, Niobe, heard this boast, and 
laughed in scorn ; for she was the mother of four- Story of 
teen children, — seven manly sons and seven beau- Niobe. 

tiful daughters. In her pride she called aloud to Latona, and 
taunted her because her offspring numbered but two. 

Shortly after, Niobe even went so far as to forbid her people 
to worship Apollo and Diana, and gave orders that all the statues 
representing them in her kingdom should be torn down from 
their pedestals, and destroyed. Enraged at this insult, Latona 
called her children to her side, and bade them go forth and slay 
all her luckless rival's offspring. 

93 



94 • CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Provided with well-stocked quivers, the twins set out to do her 
bidding ; and Apollo, meeting the seven lads out hunting, cut 
their existence short with his unfailing arrows. 

" Phoebus slew the sons 
With arrows from his silver bow, incensed 
At Niobe." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

With all proverbial speed the tidings reached Niobe, whose 
heart failed when she heard that her seven sons, her pride and 
delight, had fallen under Apollo's shafts, and that they now lay 
cold and stiff in the forest, where they had eagerly hastened a 
few hours before, to follow the deer to its cover. 

As she mourned their untimely death, she thought her cup 
of sorrow was full ; but long ere her first passion of grief was 
over, Diana began to slay her daughters. 

" But what is this ? What means this oozing flood? 
Her daughters, too, are weltering in their blood: 
One clasps her mother's knees, one clings around 
Her neck, and one lies prostrate on the ground; 
One seeks her breast ; one eyes the coming woe 
And shudders; one in terror crouches low." 

Meleager. 

In vain the poor girls sought to escape the flying arrows. In 
vain Niobe sought to protect them, and called upon all the gods 
of Olympus. Her daughters fell one by one, never to rise again. 
The last clung convulsively to her mother's breast ; but, even in 
that fond mother's passionate embrace, death found and claimed 
her. Then the gods, touched by the sight of woe so intense, 
changed Niobe into stone, just as she stood, with upturned face, 
streaming eyes, and quivering lips. 

This statue was placed on Mount Sipylus, close to a stream of 
running water ; and it was said that tears continually flowed - 
down the marble cheeks, for, though changed, Niobe still felt, and 
wept for her great loss. 




NIOBE. 
(Uffizi Palace, Florence.) 



(95) 



96 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

This story is an allegory, in which Niobe, the mother, repre- 
sents winter, hard, cold, and proud ; until Apollo's deadly arrows, 
' the sunbeams, slay her children, the winter months. Her tears 
are emblems of the natural thaw which comes in spring, when 
winter's pride has melted. 

As soon as the young Goddess of the Moon had been intro- 
duced in Olympus, all the gods expressed a wish to marry her ; 
I Diana's Dut she refused to listen to their entreaties, begged 
I avocations, ^ x father's permission to remain single all her life, 
and pleaded her cause so ably, that Jupiter was forced to grant 
her request. 

Every evening, as soon as the Sun had finished his course, 
Diana mounted her moon car, and drove her milk-white steeds 
across the heavens, watched over and loved by the countless 
stars, which shone their brightest to cheer her on her way ; and 
as she drove she often bent down to view the sleeping earth, so 
shadowy and dreamlike, and to breathe the intoxicating perfume 
of the distant flowers. It always seemed to her then as if 
Nature, so beautiful during the day, borrowed additional charms 
from the witching hours of the night. 

"'Twas now the time when Phoebus yields to night, 
And rising Cynthia sheds her silver light, 
Wide o'er the world in solemn pomp she drew 
Her airy chariot hung with pearly dew." 

One evening, as she was driving noiselessly along, she suddenly 
checked her steeds ; for there on the hillside she saw a hand- 
story of some young shepherd, fast asleep, his upturned 
Endymion. f ace illumined by the moon's soft light. Diana 
wonderingly gazed upon his beauty, and before long felt her 
heart beat with more than admiration. Gliding gently from 
her chariot, she floated to his side, bent slowly, and dropped an 
airy kiss upon his slightly parted lips. 

The youth Endymion, only partially awakened by this demon- 
stration, half raised his fringed lids, and for a moment his sleep- 



DIANA. 97 

dimmed eyes rested wonderingly upon the beautiful vision. 
That one glance, although it drove Diana away in great haste, 
kindled in his heart an inextinguishable passion. He rose 
with a start, and rubbed his sleepy eyes ; but when he saw the 
moon, which he fancied close beside him, sailing away across the 
deep-blue sky, he felt sure the whole occurrence had been but a 
dream, but so sweet a dream that he cast himself down upon the 
sward, hoping to woo it to visit him once more. 

It did not come again that night, however; but the next 
night, as he lay on the selfsame spot, it recurred in all its sweet- 
ness ; and night after night it was repeated when the pale moon- 
beams fell athwart his sleeping face. 

" Then, as the full orb poised upon the peak, 
There came a lovely vision of a maid, 
Who seemed to step as from a golden car 
Out of the low-hung moon." 

Lewis Morris. 

Diana, fully as enamored as he, could not bear to pass him 
by without a caress, and invariably left her car for a moment, as 
it touched^ the mountain peak, 'to run to him and snatch a hasty 
kiss. 

" Chaste Artemis, who guides the lunar car, 
The pale nocturnal vigils ever keeping, 
Sped through the silent space from star to star, 
And, blushing, stooped to kiss Endymion sleeping.". 

BOYESEN. 

But, even when asleep, Endymion watched for her coming, 
and enjoyed the bliss of her presence ; yet a spell seemed to pre- 
vent his giving any sign of consciousness. 

Time passed thus. Diana, who could not bear to think of the 
youth's beauty being marred by want, toil, and exposure, finally 
caused an eternal sleep to fall upon him, and bore him off to 
Mou m Latrnus, where she concealed him in a cave held sacred 
to her, and never profaned by human gaze. There each night 



j 



98 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the goddess paused to gaze enraptured upon his beloved counte- 
nance, and to press a soft kiss upon his unconscious lips. Such 
is the tale of Diana and her lowly sweetheart, which has inspired 
poets of all ages. 

' ' Queen of the wide air ; thou most lovely queen 
Of all the brightness that mine eyes have seen ! 
As thou exceedest all things in thy shrine, 
So every tale, does this sweet tale of thine." 

Keats. 

Endymion was not, however, the only mortal loved by Diana, 
for mythologists report that her affections were also bestowed 

story of upon a young hunter by the name of Orion. All 
Onon. £j a y long this youth scoured the forest, his faithful 

dog Sirius at his heels. 

One day, in the dense shade of the forest, he met a group of 
Diana's nymphs, the seven Pleiades, daughters of Atlas. These 
fair maidens needed but to be seen to be passionately loved, and 
Orion's heart burned as he sought to approach them ; but they 
were very coy, and, as he drew near and addressed them, turned 
and fled. 

Afraid lest he should never see them again were he now to 
lose sight of them, he pursued them hotly ; but the nymphs sped 
on, until, their strength failing, they called upon their patroness's 
aid. Their prayer was no sooner heard than answered, and 
Orion, panting and weary, came up just in time to see seven 
snow-white pigeons wing their way up into the azure sky. 

There a second transformation overtook the Pleiades, who 
were changed into a constellation, composed of seven bright 
stars, and there they shone undimmed for ages ; but when Troy 
fell into the enemy's hands, all grew pale with grief, and one, 
more timid and impressionable than the rest, withdrew from 
sight to hide her anguish from the curious eyes of men. 

" And is there glory from the heavens departed ? — 
O void unmark'd ! — thy sisters of the sky 
Still hold their place on high, 



DIANA. 99 

Though from its rank thine orb so long hath started, 
Thou, that no more art seen of mortal eye ! " 

Hemans. 

Orion, like a fickle youth, was soon consoled for their disap- 
pearance, and loved Merope, daughter of CEnopion, King of 
Chios, who consented to their union on condition that his future 
son-in-law should win his bride by some heroic deed. Now, as 
Orion was anything but a patient man, the delay was very un- 
welcome indeed, and he made up his mind to abduct his bride 
instead of marrying her openly ; but the plan was frustrated by 
(Enopion's watchfulness, and Orion was punished by the loss 
not only of his bride, but also of his eyesight. 

Blind, helpless, and alone, he now wandered from place to 
place, hoping to find some one capable of restoring his sight. At 
last he reached the Cyclopes' cave, and one of them took pity 
on him, and led him to the Sun, from whose radiance he bor- 
rowed a store of light, — 

" When, blinded by (Enopion, 
He sought the blacksmith at his forge, 
And, climbing up the mountain gorge, 
Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun." 

Longfellow. 

Happy once more, he resumed his favorite sport, and hunted 
from morn till eve. Diana met him in the forest, and, sharing 
his tastes, soon learned to love him ; but this affection was 
viewed with great displeasure by Apollo, from whose piercing 
glance nothing that occurred by day could be hidden, and he 
resolved to put an end to his sister's infatuation. He therefore 
summoned her to his side. To divert her suspicions, he began 
to talk of archery, and, under the pretext of testing her skill as a 
markswoman, bade her shoot at a dark speck rising and falling 
far out at sea. 

Diana seized her bow, feathered her arrow, and sent it with 
such force and accurate aim, that she touched the point, and 
saw it vanish beneath the waves, little suspecting that the dark 



ioo CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

head of Orion, who was refreshing himself by a sea bath, 
was given her as a target. When she discovered her error, she 
mourned his loss with many tears, vowed never to forget him, 
and placed him and his faithful dog Sirius as constellations in 
the sk y. 

When Diana had finished her nightly journey in her moon 
story of car > sne seized her bow and arrows, and, attended 
Actaeon. by her nymphs, was wont to sally forth to hunt 
the wild beasts in the forest. 

One summer afternoon, after an unusually long and exciting 
pursuit, Diana and her followers came to one of the still moun- 
tain pools where they had often resorted to enjoy a plunge. 
The cool waters rippled so invitingly, that the goddess and her 
attendants hastened to divest themselves of their short hunting 
garments, and lave their heated limbs. 

But unfortunately the goddess and her attendant nymphs had 
not been the only ones out hunting that day. Actaeon, the 
huntsman, had risen at dawn to stalk the deer ; and now, weary 
and parched with thirst, he too sought the well-known mountain 
spring, 

" Deep in the cool recesses of the wood, 
Where the cold crystal of a mossy pool 
Rose to the flowery marge, and gave again 
The soft green lawn where ofttimes, overspent, 
I lay upon the grass and eager bathed 
My limbs in the clear lymph." 

1 Lewis Morris. 

As he drew near the accustomed spot, Actaeon fancied he 
heard bursts of silvery laughter : so he crept on very cautiously, 
and soon, gently parting the thick branches of the underbrush, 
beheld the sporting group. 

At the selfsame moment Diana turned to ascertain the cause 
of the rustle which had caught her practiced ear, and met the 
admiring gaze of the astonished young hunter. Speechless with 
indignation that a mortal had beheld her thus, she caught some 



DIANA. ioi 

water in her hollow palm, flung it in his face, and bade him go 
and declare, if he could, that he had seen Diana disrobed. 

The glittering drops had no sooner touched the young man's 
face, than he turned to obey her command, and found himself 
transformed into a stag, with slender, sinewy limbs, furry skin, 
and wide-branching antlers. Nothing remained of his former 
self except the woeful consciousness of his transformation ; and as 
he stood there, motionless and dismayed, the distant baying of 
his hounds coming to join him fell upon his ear. 

An electric thrill of fear shot through every vein, as, mindful 
of his new form, he bounded away through the forest. Alas! 
too late ; for the pack had caught one glimpse of his sleek sides, 
and were after him in full cry. 

In vain poor Actseon strained every muscle. His limbs re- 
fused their support, and, as he sank exhausted to the ground, the 
hounds sprang at his quivering throat. 

" Nearer they came and nearer, baying loud, 
With bloodshot eyes and red jaws dripping foam; 
And when I strove to check their savagery, 
Speaking with words, no voice articulate came,. 
Only a dumb, low bleat. Then all the throng 
Leapt swift on me, and tore me as I lay ! " 

Lewis Morris. 

Diana was widely worshiped, and temples without number 
were dedicated to her service ; among others, the world-re- 
nowned sanctuary of Ephesus. The ancients also celebrated 
many festivals in honor of this fair goddess of the moon, who 
was ever ready to extend her protection over all deserving 
mortals. 




(I02)* 



VENUS DE MILO. 
( Louvre, Paris.) 



CHAPTER VII. 



VENUS. 



Venus (Dione, Aphrodite, Cytherea), the goddess of beauty, 
love, laughter, and marriage, is said by some Venus' 
mythologists to be the daughter of Jupiter and birth - 

Dione, goddess of moisture : others report that she sprang from 
the foam of the sea. 

" Look, look, why shine 
Those floating bubbles with such light divine ? 
They break, and from their mist a lily form 
Rises from out the wave, in beauty warm. 
The wave is by the blue-veined feet scarce press'd, 
Her silky ringlets float about her breast, 
Veiling its fairy loveliness ; while her eye 
Is soft and deep as the blue heaven is high. 
The Beautiful is born ; and sea and earth 
May well revere the hour of that mysterious birth." 

Shelley. 

The ocean nymphs were the first to discover her, cradled on a 
great blue wave ; and they carried her down into their coral 
caves, where they tenderly nursed her, and taught her with the 
utmost care. Then, her education being completed, the sea 
nymphs judged it time to introduce her to the other gods, and, 
with that purpose in view, carried her up to the surface of the 
sea, — where Tritons, Oceanides, and Nereides all crowded around 
her, loudly expressing their ardent admiration, — and offered her 
pearls and choice bits of coral from the deep, as a tribute to her 
charms. 

103 




(104) 



FOURTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT.— Raphael. 



VENUS. 105 

Then they pillowed her softly on a great wave, and intrusted 
her to the care of Zephyrus, the soft south wind, who blew a 
gentle breath, and wafted her to the Island of Cyprus. 

The four beautiful Horae (the Seasons), daughters of Jupiter 
and" Themis, goddess of justice, stood there on the shore to wel- 
come her. 

" An ethereal band 
Are visible above : the Seasons four, — 
Green-kirtled Spring, flush Summer, golden store 
In Autumn's sickle, Winter frosty hoar." 

Keats. 

And they were not alone to watch for her coming, for the 
three Charites (Graces, or Gratiae) were also present. 

" 'These three on men all gracious gifts bestow, 
Which decke the body or adorne the mynde, 
To make them lovely or well-favoured show; 
As comely carriage, entertainement kynde, 
Sweete semblaunt, friendly offices that bynde, 
And all the complements of curtesie : 
They teach us how to each degree and kynde 
We should our selves demeane, to low, to hie, 
To friends, to foes ; which skill men call Civility.' " 

Spenser. 

Daughters of Jupiter and Eurynome, these maidens, who bore 
the respective names of Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, longed 
to show their love for their new mistress. When the wave upon 
which she reclined came nearer still, the "rosy-bosomed Hours, 
fair Venus' train," appeared. The wind finally brought the fair 
goddess in safety to the shore ; and, as soon as her foot touched 
the white sand, all bent in homage to her surpassing beauty, and 
reverentially watched her dry her hair. 

" Idalian Aphrodite beautiful, 
Fresh as the foam, new-bathed in Paphian wells, 
With rosy slender fingers backward drew 
From her warm brows and bosom her deep hair 



106 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Ambrosial, golden round her lucid throat 
And shoulder : from the violets her light foot 
Shone rosy-white, and o'er her rounded form 
Between the shadows of the vine bunches 
Floated the glowing sunlights, as she moved." 

Tennyson. 

This hasty and somewhat primitive toilet completed, Venus 
and her followers set out for Mount Olympus, and on their way 
thither were joined by Himerus, god of the desire of love ; 
Pothos, god of the amities of love ; Suadela, god of the soft 
speech of love ; and Hymen, god of marriage. 

A throne had been prepared for the expected goddess, and, 
when she suddenly appeared to take possession of it, the as- 

venus and sembled gods could not restrain a rapturous mur- 

Vuican. mur £ admiration. Her bea uty took them by storm, 
and her grace won their hearts ; but, although they one and all 
expressed a desire to marry her, Venus scornfully rejected their 
proposals. Even the king of gods was slighted, and, to punish 
her for her pride, he decreed she should marry Vulcan, god of 
the forge, the most ill-favored of all the heavenly council. 

This compulsory union was anything but a happy one ; for 
Venus never showed any affection for her deformed consort, 
and, instead of being a faithful wife, soon deserted him, and 
openly declared she would please herself. 

Her first fancy was for Mars, the handsome god of war, who 
was not slow in reciprocating the fair goddess's affections, and 

story of many and sweet were the secret interviews they 

Aiectryon. enjoyed. Yet, fearful lest some of the gods pass- 
ing by should discover them together, Mars always placed his 
attendant Aiectryon on guard, bidding him give due warning of 
any one's approach, and especially to call him before the sun 
rose, as the lovers were particularly anxious that Apollo should 
not witness their parting caresses. 

All prospered according to their desires, until one night the 
unfortunate Aiectryon fell asleep ; and so profound were his 



VENUS. 107 

slumbers, that he did not even stir when Aurora flung open the 
gates of the east, and Apollo flashed forth to receive the melo- 
dious greetings of the feathered denizens of the forest. 

The sun god drove rapidly on, glancing right and left, and 
taking note of all he saw. Nothing escaped his bright and pier- 
cing eye, as it flashed its beams hither and thither, and he was 
soon aware of the sleeping watchman and of the guilty lovers. 
As fast as his fleet-footed steeds could carry him, Apollo has- 
tened to Vulcan, to whom he vividly described the sight which 
had greeted his eyes. 

The irate husband lost no time, but, seizing a net of linked 
steel, went in search of his runaway wife. Stealthily he ap- 
proached the lovers' bower, and deftly flung the net over both 
sleepers, who were caught in its fine meshes, and could not 
escape ; and there he kept them imprisoned, in spite of their en- 
treaties, until all the gods had seen their humiliating plight, and 
turned them into ridicule. But when he at last set them free, 
Mars darted away, vowing vengeance upon the negligent senti- 
nel, who was still blissfully sleeping. Pouncing upon him, Mars 
awakened him roughly, administered a sharp reproof, changed 
him into a cock, banished him into the barnyard, and condemned 
him to give daily warning of the sun's approach. 

"And, from out a neighboring farmyard, 
Loud the cock Alectryon crowed." 

Longfellow. 

Several beautiful children were born to Mars and Venus. 
Hermione, or Harmonia, their daughter, married Cadmus, King of 
Thebes; and Cupid (Cupido, Eros, Amor), their Venus . 
little son, was appointed god of love. Although children, 
nursed with tender solicitude, this second-born child did not grow 
as other children do, but remained a small, rosy, chubby child, 
with gauzy wings and roguish, dimpled face. Alarmed for his 
health, Venus consulted Themis, who oracularly replied, " Love 
cannot grow without Passion." 



108 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

In vain the goddess strove to catch the concealed meaning of 
this answer. It was only revealed to her when Anteros, god of 
passion, was born. When with his brother, Cupid grew and 
nourished, until he became a handsome, slender youth ; but when 
separated from him, he invariably resumed his childish form and 
mischievous habits. 

Venus, however, did not lavish all her love upon Mars, for she 
is said to have felt a tender passion for a young man named 

Venus and Adonis, a bold young hunter, whose rash pursuit 
Adonis - of dangerous game caused Venus many anxious 
alarms. In vain she besought him to forego the pleasures of 
the chase and remain with her. He laughingly escaped, and con- 
tinued to join the other hunters in his favorite sport. But, alas! 
one day, after an exciting pursuit, he boldly attacked a wild boar, 
which, goaded to madness, turned upon him, buried his strong 
tusk in the youth's unprotected side, and trampled him to death. 

" The white tusk of a boar has transpierced his white thigh. 

" The youth lieth dead while his dogs howl around, 
And the nymphs weep aloud from the mists of the hill." 

Bion (Mrs. Browning's tr.). 

Venus ran straight to the scene of his tragic death, rushing 
through underbrush and briers, tearing her delicate skin, and her 
blood tingeing all the white roses along her way to a faint pink. 
When she arrived, she found her beloved Adonis cold in death, 
and her passionate caresses met with no response. Then she 
burst into such a passion of tears, that the wood and water 
nymphs, the gods, men, and all nature in fact, joined with her 
to mourn the beloved youth. 

"Her loss the Loves deplore : 
Woe, Venus, woe ! Adonis is no more." 

Bion (Elton's tr.). 

Very reluctantly Mercury at last appeared to lead the soul of 
the departed down into the Infernal Regions, where it was wel- 




dog) 



no CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

corned by Proserpina, queen of the realm, and led to the place 
where pure and virtuous mortals enjoyed an eternity of bliss. 
Venus, still inconsolable, shed countless tears, which, as they 
dropped upon the ground, were changed to anemones, while the 
red drops which had fallen from Adonis' side were transformed 
into red roses. 

"As many drops as from Adonis bled, 
So many tears the sorrowing Venus shed : 
For every drop on earth a flower there grows : 
Anemones for tears; for blood the rose." 

Bion (Elton's tr.). 

As time did not soften Venus' grief, but, on the contrary, 
made it more and more unendurable, she went to Olympus, 
where she fell at Jupiter's feet, imploring him to release Adonis 
from death's embrace, or allow her to share his lot in Hades. 

To allow Beauty to desert the earth was not possible, nor 
could he resist her pleading : so he finally decreed that Adonis 
should be restored to her longing arms. But Pluto, whose sub- 
ject he had now become, refused to yield up Adonis ; and after 
much dispute a compromise was agreed upon, by virtue of which 
Adonis was allowed to spend one half of the year on earth, 
providing he spent the remaining six months in the Elysian 
Fields. 

In early spring, therefore, Adonis left the Lower World, and 
came with bounding tread to join his beloved. On his path 
the flowers bloomed and the birds sang, to show their joy at his 
coming. An emblem of vegetation, which rises from the ground 
in early spring to deck the earth with beautiful foliage and flow- 
ers, and cause the birds to sing for gladness, Adonis reluctantly 
returned to Hades, when Winter, the cruel boar, slew him again 
with his white tusk, and made nature again droop, and mourn 
his departure. 

" But even in death, so strong is Love, 
I could not wholly die ; and year by year, 



VENUS. 1 1 1 

When the bright springtime comes, and the earth lives, 
Love opens these dread gates, and calls me forth 
Across the gulf." 

Lewis Morris. 

The Goddess of Beauty also loved Anchises, Prince of Troy, 
but, ashamed of lavishing favors upon a mere mortal, extorted 
from him a promise that he would never reveal Venus and 
their secret marriage. Unfortunately, however, Anchises. 
Anchises was of a boastful disposition, and ere long yielded to 
temptation and revealed the secret, incurring her wrath to such 
an extent, that some mythologists accuse her of borrowing one 
of Jupiter's thunderbolts and slaying him. Others, however, 
report that Anchises lived to a ripe old age, and escaped from 
burning Troy on his son ^Eneas' back. Venus' love was, how- 
ever, all transferred to her son ^Eneas, whom she signally pro- 
tected throughout his checkered career. 

Venus' most ardent admirers and faithful worshipers were the 
young people, for she delighted in their youthful Story of Hero 
sentiments, and was ever ready to lend a helping and Zander, 
hand to all true lovers when apparently insurmountable obstacles 
appeared on their path. 

This was the case with a lovely maiden by the name of Hero, 
who was dedicated by her parents to Venus' service, and, as soon 
as old enough, spent all her time in the temple, ministering to the 
goddess, or in a lonely tower by the sea, where she dwelt alone 
with her aged nurse. 

" Honey-sweet Hero, of a princely race, 
Was priestess to Queen Venus in that place ; 
And at her father's tower, by the sea set — 
Herself a Queen of Love, though maiden yet — 
Dwelt." 

Edwin Arnold. 

•The maiden's beauty increased with her years, until the fame 
of her loveliness spread throughout her native city Ses_tus, and 
even passed over the Hellespont and reached Abydus, where 



H2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Leancler, the bravest and handsomest youth of the town,- was 
fired with a desire to view the charming young priestess. 

Just at that time a solemn festival in honor of Venus was to 
be celebrated at Sestus, to which all the youths and maidens 
were cordially invited. Under pretext of paying homage to the 
goddess, Leander entered her temple, and saw the young priest- 
ess, whose charms far surpassed all descriptions. 

Venus, as has already been stated, was always deeply inter- 
ested in young lovers; and when she saw these two, so well 
matched in beauty and grace, she bade Cupid pierce them with 
his love darts, which behest the mischief -loving god immediately 
obeyed. 

" God Eros, setting notch to string, 
Wounded two bosoms with one shaft-shooting, 
A maiden's and a youth's- — Leander he, 
And lovely Hero, Sestos' sweetest, she; 
She of her town, and he of his, the boast; 
A noble pair ! " 

Edwin Arnold. 

An undying passion was thus simultaneously kindled in both 
young hearts ; and, thanks to Venus' assistance, Leander man- 
aged to exchange a few words with Hero, declared his love, im- 
plored her to view his suit kindly, and, above all, to grant him a 
private interview, or he would surely die. 

The maiden listened to his pleading with mingled joy and 
terror, for she knew her parents would never consent to their 
union. Then, afraid lest some one should notice that she was 
talking to a stranger, she bade him depart ; but he refused to go 
until he had learned where she lived, and proposed to swim 
across the Hellespont when the shades of night had fallen, and 
none could see his goal, and pay her a visit in her lonely tower. 

" * Sweet ! for thy love,' he cried, ' the sea I'd cleave, 
Though foam were fire, and waves with flame did heave, 
I fear not billows if they bear to thee ; 
Nor tremble at the hissing of the sea ! 



VENUS. 113 

And I will come — oh ! let me come — each night, 
Swimming the swift flood to my dear delight : 
For white Abydos, where I live, doth front 
Thy city here, across our Hellespont.' " 

Edwin Arnold. 

At last his prayers overcame the maiden's scruples, and she 
arranged to receive him in her sea-girt tower, promising at a 
given hour to light a torch and hold it aloft to guide him safely 
across the sea. Then only he departed. 

Night came on ; darkness stole over the earth ; and Leander 
impatiently paced the sandy shore, and watched for the promised 
signal, which no sooner appeared, than he exultantly plunged into 
the dark waves, and parted them with lusty strokes, as he hastened 
across the deep to join his beloved. At times the huge billows 
towered above his head ; but when he had escaped their threaten- 
ing depths, and rose up on their foamy crests, he could catch a 
glimpse of the torch burning brightly, and pictured to himself 
the shy, sweet blushes which would dye Hero's cheek as he 
clasped her to his passionate heart. 

" Leander had no fear — he cleft the wave — 
What is the peril fond hearts will not brave ! " 

Landon. 

Venus, from the top of " many-peaked Olympus," smilingly 
viewed the success of her scheme, and nerved Leander's arm to 
cleave the rapid current. At last he reached the tower steps, and 
was lovingly greeted by Hero, whose heart had throbbed with 
anxiety at the thought of the perils her lover was braving for the 
sake of seeing her once more. 

It was only when the dawn began to whiten the east, that the 
lovers finished their interview and parted, he to return to Abydus, 
and she to prepare for the daily duties which would soon claim 
her attention. But separation by day was all these fond lovers 
could endure, and night after night, as soon as the first stars ap- 
peared, Hero lighted her torch, and Leander hastened to her, to 
linger by her side till dawn. 



H4 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" Thus pass'd the summer shadows in delight: 
Leander came as surely as the night, 
And when the morning woke upon the sea, 
It saw him not, for back at home was he." 

Hunt. 

No one suspected their meetings ; and all went well until the 
first fierce storms of winter swept down over the Hellespont. 
Hero, in the gray dawn of a winter's morning, besought her lover 
not to leave her to battle against the waves, which beat so vio- 
lently against the stone tower ; but he gently laughed at her fears, 
and departed, promising to return at night as usual. 

The storm, which had raged so fiercely already in the early 
morning, increased in violence as the day wore on, until the 
waves were lashed into foam, while the wind howled more and 
more ominously as the darkness came on again ; but none of 
these signs could deter Leander from visiting Hero. 

" There came one night, the wildest of the year, 
When the wind smote like edge of hissing spear, 
And the pale breakers thundered on the beach." 

Edwin Arnold. 

All day long Hero had hoped that her lover would renounce 
his nightly journey; but still, when evening came, she lighted 
her torch to serve as beacon, should he risk all to keep his word. 
The wind blew so fiercely, that the torch wavered and flickered, 
and nearly went out, although Hero protected its feeble flame 
by standing over it with outstretched robes. 

At sight of the wonted signal, Leander, who had already once 
been beaten back by the waves, made a second attempt to cross 
the strait, calling upon the gods to lend him their aid. But 
this time his prayers were unheard, drowned in the fury of the 
storm ; yet he struggled on a while longer, with Hero's name on 
his lips. 

At last, exhausted and ready to sink, he lifted his eyes once 
more to view the cheering light. It was gone, extinguished by 




HERO AND LEANDER.— Bodenhausen. 



(115) 



n6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

a passing gust of wind. Like a stone Leander sank, once, twice, 
thrice, and the billows closed forever over his head. 

Hero in the mean while had relighted her torch, and, quite un- 
conscious of the tragedy which had taken place, stood on the 
tower, straining her eyes to pierce the darkness. All night long 
she waited and watched for the lover who did not come ; and, 
when the first sunbeams shone over the tossing sea, she cast an 
anxious glance over the waters to Abydus. No one was in 
sight as far as she could see. She was about to descend to 
pursue her daily tasks, when, glancing at the foot of the tower, 
she saw her lover's corpse heaving up and down on the waves. 

" As shaken on his restless pillow, 
His head heaves with the heaving billow ; 
That hand, whose motion is not life, 
Yet feebly seems to menace strife, 
Flung by the tossing tide on high, 
Then level'd with the wave." 

Byron. 

Hero's heart broke at this sad sight, and she longed to die, 
too, that she might not be parted from Leander. To hasten 
their meeting, she threw herself into the sea, and perished in the 
waves, close by his side. Thus lived and died the faithful lovers, 
whose attachment has passed into a proverb. 

Byron, the celebrated English bard, attempted Leander's feat 
of swimming across the Hellespont, and, on his return from 
that dangerous venture, wrote the following lines, which are so 
familiar to all English-speaking people : — 

" The winds are high on Helle's wave, 

As on that night of stormy water 
When Love, who sent, forgot to save 
The young, the beautiful, the brave, 

The lonely hope of Sestos' daughter. 
Oh ! when alone along the sky 
Her turret torch was blazing high, 
Though rising gale, and breaking foam, 
And shrieking sea-birds warn'd him home ; 



VENUS. 1 1 7 

And clouds aloft and tides below, 

With signs and sounds, forbade to go, 

He could not see, he would not h.ar, 

Or sound or sign foreboding fear; 

His eye but saw that light of love, 

The only star it hail'd above ; 

His ear but rang with Hero's song, 

' Ye waves, divide not lovers long ! ' 

That tale is old, but love anew 

May nerve young hearts to prove as true." 

An equally loving and unfortunate pair were Pyramu s and 
Thisbe. Although no waves divided them, and they had the 
good fortune to occupy adjoining houses in Baby- Pyramus 
Ion, their parents h aving quarrele d, they were for- and Thisbe - 
forbidden to see or speak to each other. This decree wrung 
their tender hearts ; and their continuous sighs finally touched 
Venus, who prepared to give them her aid. Thanks to this 
goddess's kind offices, a crack was discovered in the party wall, 
through which the lovers could peep at each other, converse, 
and even, it is said, exchange a kiss or two. 

Sundry stolen interviews through this crack made them long 
for uninterrupted and unrestrained meetings : so they made an 
appointment to meet on a certain day and hour, under a white 
mulberry tree , just without the city gates. 

Thisbe, anxious to see her lover, was the first to reach the 
trysting place, and, as she slowly paced back and forth to while 
away the time of waiting, she wondered what had happened to 
delay Pyramus. Her meditation was suddenly broken by a rus- 
tling sound in some neighboring bushes ; and, thinking Pyramus 
was concealed there, she was about to call to him that he was 
discovered, when, instead of her lover, she saw a lion emerge from 
the thicket and come towards her, slowly lashing his sides with 
his tail, and licking his bloody jaws. With one terrified shriek 
the girl ran away, dr opping her vei l, which the lion caught in his 
bloody mouth and tore to shreds, before beating a retreat into 
the forest. 
8 



n8 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Shortly after, Pyramus came rushing up, out of breath, and 
full of loving excuses for Thisbe, who was not there, however, 
to receive them. Wondering at her absence, Pyramus looked 
around, and after a short investigation discerned the lion's foot- 
prints and the mangled veil. These signs sufficed to convince 
him that Thisbe had perished, and in a fit of despair he drew 
his dagger from its sheath and thrust it into his heart. 

A few minutes later, Thisbe cautiously drew near, peering 
anxiously about to discover whether the lion were still lurking 
near. Her first glance showed her Pyramus stretched dead be- 
neath the mulberry tree, with her bloody veil pressed convulsively 
to his lips. With a cry of terror she flew to his side, and tried 
to revive him ; but, when assured that all her efforts were in vain, 
she drew the dagger from his breast, and, plunging it into her 
own bosom, fell beside him quite lifeless. 

"In her bosom plunged the sword, 
All warm and reeking from its slaughtered lord." 

Ovid (Eusden's tr.). 

Since that ominous day the fruit of the mulberry tree, which 
had been white, assumed a blood-like hue, dyed by the blood 
which flowed from the death wounds of Pyramus and Thisbe. 

The lovely and talkative nymph Echo lived free from care 
and whole of heart until she met Narcissus, hunting in the for- 

Echo and est - This frivolous young lady no sooner beheld 

Narcissus. t ^ e y OU th, than she fell deeply in love with him, 
and was proportionately grieved when she saw that he did not 
return her affections. 

All her blandishments were unavailing, and, in her despair at 
his hard-heartedness, she implored Venus to punish him by mak- 
ing him suffer the pangs of unrequited love ; then, melancholy 
and longing to die, she wandered off into the mountains, far 
from the haunts of her former companions, and there, brooding 
continually over her sorrow, pined away until there remained 
naught of her but her melodious voice. 



VENUS. 119 

The gods, displeased at her lack of proper pride, condemned 
her to haunt rocks and solitary places, and, as a warning to 
other impulsive maidens, to repeat the last sounds which fell 
upon her ear. 

" But her voice is still living immortal, — 
The same you have frequently heard 
In your rambles in valleys and forests, 
Repeating your ultimate word." 

Saxe. 

Venus alone had not forgotten poor Echo's last passionate 
prayer, and was biding her time to punish the disdainful Nar- 
cissus. One day, after a prolonged chase, he hurried to a lonely 
pool to slake his thirst. 

" In some delicious ramble, he had found 
A little space, with boughs all woven round ; 
And in the midst of all, a clearer pool 
Than e'er reflected in its pleasant cool 
The blue sky here, and there, serenely peeping 
Through tendril wreaths fantastically creeping." 

Keats. 

Quickly he knelt upon the grass, and bent over the pellucid 
waters to take a draught ; but he suddenly paused, surprised. 
Down near the pebbly bottom he saw a face so passing fair, that 
he immediately lost his heart, for he thought it belonged to some 
water nymph gazing up at him through the transparent flood. 

With sudden passion he caught at the beautiful apparition ; 
but, the moment his arms touched the water, the nymph vanished. 
Astonished and dismayed, he slowly withdrew to a short dis- 
tance, and breathlessly awaited the nymph's return. 

The agitated waters soon resumed their mirror-like smooth- 
ness ; and Narcissus, approaching noiselessly on tiptoe, and 
cautiously peeping into the pool, became aware first of curly, 
tumbled locks, and then of a pair of beautiful, watchful, anxious 
eyes. Evidently the nymph had just concluded to emerge from 
her hiding place ^to reconnoiter. 



120 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

More prudent this time, the youth gradually bent further over 
the pool ; and, reassured by his kindly glances, the nymph's 
whole head appeared. In gentle tones the youth now addressed 
her ; and her ruby lips parted and moved as if she were answer- 
ing, though not a sound came to his ear. In his excitement he 
began to gesticulate, whereupon two snowy arms repeated his 
every gesture ; but when, encouraged by her loving glances and 
actions, he tried once more to clasp her in his arms, she vanished 
as rapidly as the first time. 

Time and again the same pantomime was enacted, and time 
and again the nymph eluded his touch ; but the enamored youth 
could not tear himself away from the spot haunted by this sweet 
image, whose sensitive face reflected his every emotion, and who 
grew as pale and wan as he, — evidently, like him, a victim to 
love and despair. 

Even the shades of night could not drive Narcissus away 
from his post, and, when the pale moonbeams illumined his re- 
treat, he bent over the pool to ascertain whether she too were 
anxious and sleepless, and saw her gazing longingly up at him. 

There Narcissus lingered day and night, without eating or 
drinking, until he died, little suspecting that the fancied nymph 
was but his own image reflected in the clear waters. Echo was 
avenged ; but the gods of Olympus gazed compassionately down 
upon the beautiful corpse, and changed it into a flower bearing 
the youth's name, which has ever since flourished beside quiet 
pools, wherein its pale image is clearly reflected. 

'•A lonely flower he spied, 
A meek and forlorn flower, with naught of pride, 
Drooping its beauty o'er the watery clearness, 
To woo its own sad image into nearness : 
Deaf to light Zephyrus it would not move ; 
But still would seem to droop, to pine, to love." 

Keats. 

JP ygmalion , King of Cyprus, was a very celebrated sculptor. 
All his leisure moments were spent in the faithful portrayal of the 



VENUS. i 2 1 

gods and goddesses. One day his practiced hand fashioned an 
image of Galatea. It was so beautiful that even before it was 
entirely finished its author loved it. When com- 

J Pygmalion 

pleted, Pygmalion admired it still more, deemed and 

it too beautiful to remain inanimate, and besought 
Venus to give it life, stating that he wished a wife just like it. 
As Pygmalion had always been an obdurate bachelor, and 
had frequently declared he would never marry, Venus was de- 
lighted to see him at last a victim of the tender passion, and re- 
solved to grant his request. Pygmalion clasped the exquisite 
image to his breast to infuse some of his own warmth into the 
icy bosom, and pressed kiss after kiss upon the chiseled lips, 
until at last they grew soft and warm at his touch, and a faint 
color flushed the pale cheeks, as a breath dilated her lungs, and 
sent her blood coursing along her veins,' — 

" As once with prayers in passion flowing, 
Pygmalion embraced the stone, 
Till, from the frozen marble glowing, 
The light of feeling o'er him shone." 

Schiller. 

Pygmalion's delight at seeing his fair image a living and 
breathing maiden was unbounded, and after a short but passion- 
ate wooing the object of his affections became his happy wife. 

In those same remote ages of "sweet mythology " there lived 
a king whose three daughters were world-renowned on account 
of thsir matchless beauty. Psyche, the youngest Cupid and 
of the sisters, was so lovely, that her father's subjects Psyche 
declared her worthy to be called the Goddess of Beauty, and 
offered to pay homage to her instead of to Venus. Offended by 
this proposal, which Psyche had good sense enough to refuse, 
Venus resolved to demonstrate forcibly to that benighted race 
that the maiden was mortal. She therefore bade her son Ci 
slay~her7 

Armed with his bow and arrows, and provided with a deadly 
poison, Cupid set out to do her bidding, and at nightfall reached 



1 Cl.X^V_ 

^upid ) 



122 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the palace, crept noiselessly past the sleeping guards, along the 
deserted halls, and came to Psyche's apartment, into which he 
glided unseen. Stealthily he approached the couch upon which 
the fair maiden was sleeping, and bent over her to administer the 
poisoned dose. 

A moonbeam falling athwart her face revealed her unequaled 
loveliness, and made Cupid start back in surprise ; but, as he did 
so, one of his own love arrows came into contact with his rosy 
flesh, and inflicted a wound, from which he was to suffer for 
many a weary day. 

All unconscious of the gravity of his hurt, he hung enraptured 
over the sleeping maiden, and let her fair image sink into his 
heart ; then, noiselessly as he had entered, he stole out again, 
vowing he would never harm such innocence and beauty. 

Morning dawned. Venus, who had expected to see the sun 
illumine her rival's corpse, saw her sporting as usual in the pal- 
ace gardens, and bitterly realized that her first plan had com- 
pletely failed. She therefore began to devise various torments 
of a petty kind, and persecuted the poor girl so remorselessly, 
that she fled from home with the firm intention of putting an 
end to the life she could no longer enjoy in peace. 

To achieve this purpose, Psyche painfully toiled up a rugged 
mountain, and, creeping to the very edge of a great precipice, 
cast herself down, expecting to be dashed to pieces on the 
jagged rocks below ; but Cupid, who had indignantly though 
helplessly seen all his mother's persecutions, had followed Psyche 
unseen, and, when he perceived her intention to commit suicide, 
he called to Zephyrus (the South Wind), and entreated him to 
catch the maiden in his strong yet gentle arms, and bear her 
off to a distant isle. 

Consequently, instead of a swift, sharp fall and painful death, 
Psyche felt herself gently wafted over hill and dale, across spar- 
kling waters ; and, long before she wearied of this new mode of 
travel, she was gently laid on a flowery bank, in the midst of an 
exquisite garden. 



VENUS. 123 

Bewildered, she slowly rose to her feet, rubbed her pretty eyes 
to make sure she was not dreaming, and wonderingly strolled 
about the beautiful grounds. Ere long she came to an en- 
chanted palace, whose portals opened wide to receive her, while 
gentle voices bade her enter, and invisible hands drew her over 
the threshold and waited upon her. 

When night came, and darkness again covered the earth, 
Cupid appeared in search of his beloved Psyche. In the per- 
fumed dusk he confessed his love, and tenderly begged for some 
return. 

Now, although the fading light would not permit her to dis- 
cern the form or features of her unknown lover, Psyche listened 
to his soft tones with unconcealed pleasure, and soon con- 
sented to their union. Cupid then entreated her to make no 
attempt to discover his name, or to catch a glimpse of his face, 
warning her that if she did so he would be forced to leave her, 
never to return. 

" ' Dear, I am with thee only while I keep 
My visage hidden ; and it thou once shouldst see 
My face, I must forsake thee: the high gods 
Link Love with Faith, and he withdraws himself 
From the full gaze of Knowledge.' " 

Lewis Morris. 

Psyche solemnly promised to respect her mysterious lover's 
wishes, and gave herself up entirely to the enjoyment of his com- 
pany. All night long they talked ; and when the first faint streak 
of light appeared above the horizon, Cupid bade Psyche fare- 
well, promising to return with the welcome shades of night. All 
day long Psyche thought of him, longed for him, and, as soon as 
the sun had set, sped to the bower where the birds, were sleepily 
trilling forth their evening song, and breathlessly waited until he 
came to join her. 

" Now on broad pinions from the realms above 
Descending Cupid seeks the Cyprian grove ; 



124 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

To his wide arms enamor'd Psyche springs, 

And clasps her lover with aurelian wings. 

A purple sash across His shoulder bends, 

And fringed with gold the quiver'd shafts suspends." 

Darwin. 

Although the hours of day seemed interminable, spent as they 
were in complete solitude, Psyche found the hours of night all 
too short in the sweet society of Love. Her every wish was 
gratified almost as soon as expressed ; and at last, encouraged 
by her lover's evident anxiety to please her, she gave utterance 
to her longing to see and converse with her sisters once more. 
The ardent lover could not refuse to grant this request, yet 
Psyche noticed that his consent seemed somewhat hesitating and 
reluctant. 

The next morning, while enjoying a solitary stroll, Psyche sud- 
denly encountered her two sisters. After rapturous embraces 
and an incoherent volley of questions and answers, they settled 
down to enjoy a long talk. Psyche related her desperate at- 
tempt at suicide, her miraculous preservation from certain death, 
her aerial journey, her entrance into the enchanted palace, her 
love for her mysterious nightly visitor, — all, in short, that had 
happened since she had left her father's home. 

Now, the elder sisters had always been jealous of Psyche's 
superior beauty ; and when they saw her luxurious surroundings, 
and heard her raptures about her lover, they were envious, and 
resolved to mar the happiness which they could not enjoy. 
They therefore did all in their power to convince poor Psyche 
that her lover must be some monster, so hideous that he dare not 
brave the broad light of day, lest he should make her loathe him, 
and further added, that, if she were not very careful, he would 
probably end by devouring her. 

They thereupon advised poor troubled Psyche to conceal a 
lamp and dagger in her lover's apartment, and to gaze upon him 
in secret, when his eyes were closed in sleep. If the light of the 
lamp revealed, as they felt sure it would, the hideous coun- 




CUPID AWAKENING PSYCHE. -Thumann. 



(125) 



126 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

tenance and distorted form of a monster, they bade her use the 
dagger to kill him. Then, satisfied with their work, the sisters 
departed, leaving Psyche alone to carry out their evil sugges- 
tions. 

When safe at home once more, the sisters constantly brooded 
over the tale Psyche had poured into their ears, and, hoping to 
secure as luxurious a home and as fascinating a lover, they each 
hurried off in secret to the mountain gorge, cast themselves over 
the precipice, and — perished. 

Night having come, bringing the usually so welcome Cupid, 
Psyche, tortured with doubt, could with difficulty conceal her 
agitation. After repeated efforts to charm her from her silent 
mood, Cupid fell asleep ; and, as soon as his regular breathing pro- 
claimed him lost in slumber, Psyche noiselessly lighted her lamp, 
seized her dagger, and, approaching the couch with great caution, 
bent over her sleeping lover. The lamp, which she held high 
above her head, cast its light full upon the face and form of a 
handsome youth. 

" Now trembling, now distracted ; bold, 
And now irresolute she seems ; 
The blue lamp glimmers in her hold, 
And in her hand the dagger gleams. 
Prepared 'to strike, she verges near, 
Then, the blue light glimmering from above, 
The hideous sight expects with fear — 
And gazes on the god of Love." 

Apollonius. 

Psyche's heart beat loudly with joy and pride as she beheld, 
instead of the monster, this graceful youth ; and as she hung over 
him, enraptured, she forgot all caution. An inadvertent motion 
tipped her lamp, and one drop of burning oil, running over the 
narrow brim, fell upon Cupid's naked shoulder. 

The sudden pain made him open his eyes with a start. The 
lighted lamp, the glittering dagger, the trembling Psyche, told 
the whole story. Cupid sprang from the couch, seized his bow 



VENUS. 127 

and arrows, and, with a last sorrowful, reproachful glance at 
Psyche, flew away through the open window, exclaiming, — 

" ' Farewell ! There is no Love except with Faith, 
And thine is dead ! Farewell ! I come no more ! ' " 

Lewis Morris. 

When he had vanished into the dusky air without, the balmy 
night winds ceased to blow ; and suddenly a tempest began to 
rage with such fury, that poor frightened Psyche p sy che 
dared not remain alone in the palace, but hastened forsaken, 
out into the gardens, where she soon lost consciousness of her 
misery in a deep swoon. When she opened her eyes once more, 
the storm had ceased, the sun was high in the heavens, and 
palace and gardens had vanished. 

Poor Psyche lingered there the following and many succeeding 
nights, vainly hoping for Cupid's return, and shedding many bit- 
ter tears of repentance. Finally she resolved to commit suicide, 
and, with that purpose in view, plunged into a neighboring river ; 
but the god of the stream caught and carried her ashore, where 
his daughters, the water nymphs, restored her to life. Thus 
forced to live, Psyche wandered about disconsolate, seeking 
Cupid, and questioning all she met, the nymphs, Pan, and Ceres, 
who compassionately listened to her confession of love for her 
husband. 

" Not as the earthly loves which throb and flush 
Round earthly shrines was mine, but a pure spirit, 
Lovelier than all embodied love, more pure 
And wonderful ; but never on his eyes 
I looked, which still were hidden, and I knew not 
The fashion of his nature ; for by night, 
When visual eyes are blind, but the soul sees, 
Came he, and bade me seek not to inquire 
Or whence he came or wherefore. Nor knew I 
His name. And always ere the coming day, 
As if he were the Sun god, lingering 
With some too well loved maiden, he would rise 
And vanish until eve." 

Lewis Morris. 



128 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Ceres had often seen Cupid, and had heard that very morn- 
ing that he was having a wound in his shoulder dressed by 
Venus : so she advised Psyche to go to the Goddess of Beauty, to 
enter her service, and to perform every task with cheerful alac- 
rity, knowing that such a course would ultimately bring about a 
meeting and reconciliation between the lovers. 

Psyche gratefully accepted and followed Ceres' advice, and 
labored early and late to satisfy her exacting mistress, who ap- 
pointed such difficult tasks, that the poor girl would never have 
been able to accomplish them had she not been aided by all the 
beasts and insects, who loved her dearly. 

Venus repeatedly tested her fidelity and endurance, and finally 

resolved, as a crucial experiment, to send her to Hades to fetch 

a box of beauty ointment, for which Proserpina 

journey to alone had the recipe. Directed by Zephyrus, her 
old friend, Psyche encountered the terrors of Hades 
in safety, delivered her message, and in return received a small 
box. The gates of Hades were closed behind her, and she had 
nearly finished her last task, when she suddenly fancied that it 
would be wise to appropriate a little of the magic preparation to 
efface the traces of sleepless nights and many tears. 

The box, however, contained naught but the spirit of Sleep, 
who, pouncing upon Psyche, laid her low by the roadside. 
Cupid, passing by, saw her there, marked the ravages of grief, 
remembered his love and her suffering, and, wrestling with the 
spirit, forced him to reenter the narrow bounds of his prison, 
and woke Psyche with a loving kiss. 

" 'Dear, unclose thine eyes. 
Thou mayst look on me now. I go no more, 
But am thine own forever.' " 

Lewis Morris- 

Then, hand in hand, they winged their flight to Olympus, 
entered the council hall ; and there Cupid presented Psyche, his 
chosen bride, to the assembled deities, who all promised to be 
present at the nuptial ceremony. Venus even, forgetting all her 




(I 29 ) 



130 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

former envy, welcomed the blushing bride, who was happy ever 
after. 

The ancients, for whom Cupid was an emblem of the heart, 
considered Psyche the personification of the soul, and repre- 
sented her with butterfly wings ; that little insect being another 
symbol of the soul, which cannot die. 

One of the latest myths concerning Venus is that of Berenice, 
who, fearing for her beloved husband's life, implored the goddess 

Berenice's to protect him in battle, vowing to sacrifice her 
Hair. luxuriant hair if he returned home in safety. The 
prayer was granted, and Berenice's beautiful locks laid upon 
Venus' shrine, whence they, however, very mysteriously disap- 
peared. An astrologer, consulted concerning the supposed theft, 
solemnly pointed to a comet rapidly coming into view, and de- 
clared that the gods had placed Berenice's hair among the stars, 
there to shine forever in memory of her wifely sacrifice. 

Venus, goddess of beauty, is represented either entirely naked, 
or with some scanty drapery called a " cestus." Seated in her 
-Worship of chariot, formed of a single pearl shell, and drawn 
Venus. by snow-white doves, her favorite birds, she jour- 

neyed from shrine to shrine, complacently admiring the lavish 
decorations of jewels and flowers her worshipers provided. The 
offerings of young lovers were ever those which found most favor 
in her sight. 

"Venus loves the whispers 

Of plighted youth and maid, 
In April's ivory moonlight 
Beneath the chestnut shade." 

Macaulay. 

Numerous ancient and some modern statues of this goddess 
grace the various art galleries, but among them all the most 
perfect is the world-renowned Venus de Milo. 

Venus' festivals were always scenes of graceful amusements; 
and her votaries wore wreaths of fresh, fragrant flowers, the 
emblem of all natural beauty. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

MERCURY. 

As already repeatedly stated in the course of this work, Jupi- 
ter was never a strictly faithful spouse, and, in spite of his wife's 
remonstrances, could not refrain from indulging Birth of 
his caprice for every pretty face he met along Mercury, 
his way. It is thus, therefore, that he yielded to the charms 
of Maia, goddess of the plains, and spent some blissful hours in 
her society. This divine couple's happiness culminated when 
they first beheld their little son, Mercury (Hermes, Psycho- 
pompus, Oneicopompus), who was born in a grotto on Mount 
Cyllene, in Arcadia, — 

" Mercury, whom Maia bore, 
Sweet Maia, on Cyllene's hoary top." 

Virgil ("Cowper's tr.). 

This infant god was quite unlike mortal children, as will 
readily be perceived by the numerous pranks he played imme- 
diately after his birth. First he sprang from his mother's knee, 
grasped a tortoise shell lying on the ground, bored holes in its 
sides, stretched strings across its concavity, and, sweeping his 
hands over them, produced strains of sweetest music, thus in- 
venting the first lyre. 

" So there it lay, through wet and dry, 
As empty as the last new sonnet, 
Till by and by came Mercury, 
And, having mused upon it, 
131 



I3 2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

1 Why here,' cried he, ' the thing of things 
In shape, material, and dimension ! 
Give it but strings, and, lo, it sings, 
A wonderful invention.' " 

Lowell. 

Being very hungry toward evening, young Mercury escaped 
from his sleeping mother, and sallied out in search of food. He 

Mercury's na d not gone very far, before he came to a wide 
theft. meadow, where Apollo's herds were at pasture. 

The oxen were fat and sleek ; and the mischievous little god, after 
satisfying himself that they were young, and therefore promised 
to be tender and juicy, drove fifty of them off to a secluded spot, 
taking good care to envelop their feet in leafy branches, so they 
would leave no traces. Then, his hiding place being reached 
in safety, Mercury coolly killed two of the oxen, which he pro- 
ceeded to eat. 

Apollo soon missed his cattle, and began to search for some 
clew to their hiding place or to the thief. He could, however, 
discover nothing but some broken twigs and scattered leaves. 
Suddenly he remembered that the babe whose birth had been 
announced early that morning in high Olympus had been ap- 
pointed god of thieves. He therefore lost no more time in use- 
less search and conjecture, but strode off to Mount Cyllene, 
where he found Mercury peacefully sleeping in his cradle. With 
a rude shake, the sun god roused him from his slumbers, and 
bade him restore the stolen cattle. Mercury pretended inno- 
cence, until Apollo, exasperated, dragged him off to Olympus, 
where he was convicted of the theft, and condemned to restore 
the stolen property. Mercury yielded to the decree, produced 
the remaining oxen, and, in_exchange for the two missing, gave 
Apollo the lyre he had just fashioned. 

This, like most other myths, admits of a natural explanation. 
Apollo (the Sun) was supposed by the ancients to possess great 
herds of cattle and sheep, — the clouds ; and Mercury, the per- 
sonification of the wind, born in the night, after a few hours' ex- 




FLYING MERCURY.— Bologna 
( National Museum, Florence.) 



(i33) 



134 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

istence waxes sufficiently strong to drive away the clouds and 
conceal them, leaving no trace of his passage except a few 
broken branches and scattered leaves. 

The gift of the lyre pleased Apollo so well, that he in return 

wished to make a present to Mercury, and gave him a magic 

wand, called Caduceus, which had the power of 

Mercury's — =— 

wand, cap, reconciling all conflicting elements. Mercury, anx- 
ious to test it, thrust it between two quarreling 
snakes, who immediately wound themselves in amity around it, 
This so pleased him, that he bade them remain there forever, and 
used the wand on all occasions. 

" A snake-encircl'd wand ; 
By classic authors term'd Caduceus 
And highly fam'd for several uses." 

Goldsmith. 

Mercury was in due time appointed messenger of the gods, 
who, to make him fleet of foot, presented him with winged san- 
dals, the Talaria, which endowed him with marvelous rapidity of 
motion. "As these sandals did not seem quite sufficient, however, 
the gods added the winged cap, Petasus, to the winged shoes. 

" Foot-feather'd Mercury appear'd sublime 

Beyond the tall tree tops ; and in less time 

Than shoots the slanted hail-storm, down he dropt 

Towards the ground; but rested not, nor stopt 

One moment from his home ; only the sward 

He with his wand light touch'd, and heavenward 

Swifter than sight was gone." 

Keats. 

Mercury was not only the messenger of the gods, but was also 
appointed god of eloquence, commerce, rain, wind, and the special 
patron of travelers, shepherds, cheats, and thieves. 

Jupiter often intrusted to Mercury messages of a delicate 
nature, and always found him an invaluable ally ; 

Story of Io. ' / \ 

but the faithful messenger was never so much 
needed or so deeply appreciated as during Jupiter's courtship 
of Io, the peerless daughter of the river god Inachus. 



MERCURY. 135 

To avoid Juno's recriminations, Jupiter had carried on this 
affair with even more than his usual secrecy, visiting his beloved 
only when quite certain that his wife was asleep, and taking the 
further precaution of spreading a cloud over the spot where he 
generally met her, to shield her from all chance of being seen 
from Olympus. 

One fine afternoon, all conditions being favorable, Jupiter has- 
tened down to earth to see Io, and began to stroll with her up 
and down the river edge. They heeded not the noonday heat, 
for the cloud over their heads screened them from the sun's too 
ardent rays. 

From some cause Juno's slumbers were less protracted than 
usual, and she soon arose from her couch to look about her 
realm, the atmosphere, and convince herself that all was well. 
Her attention was soon attracted by an opaque, immovable 
cloud near the earth, — a cloud which had no business there, 
for had she not bidden them all lie still on the blue until she 
awoke ? Her suspicions being aroused by the presence of this 
cloud, she sought her husband in Olympus, and, not finding him, 
flew down to earth, brushing the cloud aside in her haste. 

Jupiter, thus warned of her coming, had but time to change 
the maiden beside him into a heifer, ere his wife alighted and 
inquired what he was doing there. Carelessly the god pointed 
to the heifer, and declared he had been whiling away the time 
by creating it ; but the explanation failed to satisfy Juno, who, 
seeing no other living creature near, suspected that her spouse 
had been engaged in a clandestine flirtation, and had screened 
its fair object from her wrath only by a sudden transformation. 

Dissimulating these suspicions with care, Juno begged her hus- 
band to give her his new creation, which request he could not re- 
fuse, but granted most reluctantly, thus adding further confirma- 
tion to her jealous fears. The Queen of Heaven then departed, 
taking Io with her, and placed her under the surveillance of Argus, 
one of her servants, who possessed myriad eyes, but one half of 
which he closed at a time. 



I3 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" The eyes of Argus, sentinel of Heaven : 
Those thousand eyes that watch alternate kept, 
Nor all o'er all his body waked or slept." 

Statius (Elton's tr.). 

She bade him watch the heifer close-ly,. and report anything 

unusual in its actions. One day, therefore, as he was watching 

his charge pasture by the river, Argus heard her 

Argus' watch. , " > i , 

relate to her father, Inachus, the story of her trans- 
formation, and immediately imparted his discovery to Juno, who, 
advising still closer watchfulness, sent him back to his post. 

Jupiter, in the mean while, was in despair ; for days had passed 
without his being able to exchange a word with Io, or deliver 
her from her imprisonment. Finally he called Mercury to his 
aid, and bade him devise some plan to rescue her. Armed with 
a handful of poppies, Mercury approached Argus, and offered 
to while away the time by telling him tales. 

As Mercury was the prince of story-tellers, this offer was not 
to be despised, and Argus joyfully accepted ; but instead of 
exerting himself to be entertaining, Mercury droned out such 
lengthy, uninteresting stories, that Argus soon closed half his eyes 
in profound sleep. Still talking in the same monotonous way, 
Mercury softly shook the poppies over the giant's head, until one 
by one the remaining eyelids closed, and Argus was wrapped in 
complete slumber. 

Then Mercury seized the giant's sword, and with one well- 
directed blow severed his head from the huge trunk. Only one 
half of the task was successfully accomplished ; and while Mer- 
cury was driving the heifer away, Juno discovered his attempt, 
and promptly sent an enormous gadfly to torment the poor 
beast, who, goaded to madness by its cruel stings, fled wildly 
from one country to another, forded streams, and finally plunged 
into the sea, since called Ionian. After swimming across it, 
she took refuge in Egypt, where Jupiter restored her to all her 
girlish loveliness, and where her son Epaphus was born, to be 
the first king and the founder of Memphis. 



MERCURY. 137 

" In coming time that hollow of the sea 
Shall bear the name Ionian, and present 
A monument of Io's passage through, 
Unto all mortals." 

E. B. Browning. 

Juno mourned the loss of her faithful Argus most bitterly, and, 
gathering up his myriad eyes, scattered them over the tail of 
her favorite bird, the peacock, to have some" memento of her 
faithful servant ever near her. 

" From Argus slain a painted peacock grew, 
Fluttering his feathers stain'd with various hue." 

Moschus. 

This story also is an allegory. Io personifies the moon, rest- 
lessly wandering from place to place ; Argus, the heavens, whose 
starry eyes keep ceaseless watch over the moon's every move- 
ment ; Mercury is the rain, whose advent blots out the stars one 
by one, thus killing Argus, who else was never known to close 
all his eyes at once. 

To Mercury was intrusted the charge of conducting the 
souls of the departed to Hades, and when occu- Mercury's 

• j • i • ii t~> offices and 

pied in this way he hore the name of Psycho- worship, 
pompus, while, when addressed as conductor of Dreams, he was 
Oneicopompus. 

" Gently as a kiss came Death to sever 
From spirit flesh, and to the realm of gloom 
The pallid shades with fearless brow descended 
To Hades, by the winged god attended." 

BOYESEN. 

, He was one of the twelve principal gods of Olympus, and 
was widely worshiped. Temples, altars, and shrines were dedi- 
cated to his service throughout the ancient countries. His statues 
were considered sacred boundary marks, and their removal pun- 
ished by death. Solemn annual festivals were held in Rome in 
Mercury's honor in^the month of May, -and from him* received 
their name of Mercuralia. 



CHAPTER IX. 

MARS. 

Mars (Ares), son of Jupiter and Juno, was the god of war, the 

personification of the angry clouded sky, and, although but little 

Mars' worshiped in Greece, was one of the principal 

character. Roman divinities. He is said to have first seen 
the light in Thrace, a country noted for its fierce storms and 
war-loving people. 

" Infant Mars, where Thracia's mountains rose, 
ress'd with his hardy limbs th' incrusted snows." 

Statius (Elton's tr.). 

Never sated with strife and bloodshed, this god preferred the 
din of battle to all other music, and found no occupation so 
congenial as the t oils and" dan gers of war. No gentle deeds of 
kindness were ever expected from him ; no loving prayers were 
ever addressed to him ; and the ancients felt no love for him, 
but, on the contrary, shuddered with terror when his name was 
mentioned. 

Mars was generally represented in a brilliant suit of armor, a 
plumed helmet- on his proud young head, a poised spear in one 
muscular hand, and a finely wrought shield in the other, showing 
him ever ready to cope with a foe. 

His attendants, or some say his children, sympathized heartily 

Mars' with his quarrelsome tastes, and delighted in fol- 

attendants. lowing his lead. They were Eris (Discord), Pho- 

bos (Alarm), Metus (Fear), Demios (Dread), and Pallor (Terror). 

Bellona, or Enyo, goddess of war, also accompanied him, drove 



MARS. 139 

his chariot, parried dangerous thrusts, and watched over his 
general safety. Mars and Bellona were therefore worshiped 
together in the selfsame temple, and their., altars were the only 
ones ever polluted by human sacrifices. 

" And to the fire-ey'd maid of smoky war, 
All hot and bleeding, will we offer them : 
The mailed Mars shall on his altar sit, 
Up to the ears in blood." 

Shakespeare. 

As strife was his favorite element, Mars was very active indeed 
during the war between the gods and giants, but in his martial 
ardor he frequently forgot all caution. On one story of otus 
occasion he was obliged to surrender to Otus and and E P hialtes - 
Ephialtes, — two giants, who, though but nine years of age, were 
already of immense stature, since they increased in height at the 
rate of nine inches each month. 

Proud of their victory over the God of War, these giants bore 
him off in triumph, and bound him fast with iron chains slipped 
through iron rings. Day and night they kept watch over him ; 
and even when they slept, the rattle of the chains, whenever any 
one of the gods attempted to set him free, woke them up, and 
frustrated all efforts to deliver him. During fifteen weary 
months poor Mars lingered there in durance vile, until Mercury, 
the prince of thieves, noiselessly and deftly slipped the chains out 
'of the rings, and restored him to freedom. 

In revenge for the cruel treatment inflicted by Otus and Ephi- 
altes, Mars prevailed upon Apollo and Diana to use their poisoned 
arrows, and thus rid the world of these two ugly and useless giants. 

Of a fiery disposition, Mars was never inclined to forgive an 
injury ; and when Halirrhothius, Neptune's son, dared to carry off 
his daughter Alcippe, Mars hotly pursued the ab- 

j 1 f \ ,. V T The Areopagus. 

auctor, ana promptly slew him. Neptune, angry at 
this act of summary justice, cited the God of War to appear 
before a tribunal held in the open air, on a hill near the newly 
founded city of Athens. 



140 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

It was then customary for such cases to be tried at night, in 
utter darkness, so that the judges might not be influenced by the 
personal appearance of either plaintiff or defendant ; and no 
rhetoric of any kind was allowed, that their minds might remain 
quite unbiased. Mars appeared before the judges, simply stated 
his case, and was acquitted. Since then the hill upon which his 
trial took place has been called the Areopagus (Ares' Hill) or 
Mars' Hill, and the judges of the principal court of justice at 
Athens received the name of Areopagitse. 

Although such a partisan of strife, Mars was not impervious 

to softer emotions, and passionately returned the devotion of Ve- 

Mars' nus > who bore him three beautiful children, — Har- 

chiidren. monia, Cupid, and Anteros. Mars also fell in love 
with a beautiful young Vestal named Ilia, a descendant of ^Eneas, 
who, in spite of the solemn pledge not to listen to a lover's plead- 
ings until her time of service at the goddess Vesta's altar was 
accomplished, yielded to Mars' impetuous wooing, and consented 
to a clandestine union. 

Although secretly married, Ilia continued to dwell in the 
temple until the birth of her twin sons Romulus and Remus. 
Romulus and Her parents, hearing she had broken her vows, com- 
Remus. manded that she should suffer the prescribed pun- 
ishment of being buried alive, and that the children should be ex- 
posed to the teeth and claws of the wild beasts of the forest. 
The double sentence was ruthlessly carried out, and the young 
mother perished ; but, contrary to all previsions, the babes sur- 
vived, and, after having been suckled for a time by a she-wolf, 
were found and adopted by a shepherd. 

Romulus and Remus throve under this man's kind care, and 
grew up strong and fearless. When they reached manhood, they 
longed for a wider sphere for their youthful activity, and, leaving 
the mountain where they had grown up, journeyed out into the 
world to seek their fortunes. After some time they came to a 
beautiful hilly country, where they decided to found a great city, 
the capital of their future realm. Accordingly the brothers began 




VENUS DE M1LO AND MARS. 



(141) 



142 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

to trace the outline of their city limits, and, in doing so, quarreled 
over the name of the prospective town. 

Blinded by anger, Romulus suddenly raised the tool he held, 
and struck Remus such a savage blow that he fell to the ground, 
slain by his brother in a fit of passion. Alone now, Romulus at 
first vainly tried to pursue his undertaking, but, being soon joined 
by a number of adventurers as wicked and unscrupulous as 
he, they combined their forces, and built the celebrated city of 
Rome. 

"Then, with his nurse's wolf-skin girt, 
Shall Romulus the line assert, 
Invite them to his new raised home, 
And call the martial city Rome." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

As founder of this city, Romulus was its first king, and ruled 
the people with such an iron hand that his tyranny eventually 
became unbearable. The senators, weary of his exactions and 
arbitrary measures, finally resolved to free themselves of his 
presence. Taking advantage of an eclipse, which plunged the 
city in sudden darkness at noonday, and which occurred while 
all were assembled on the Forum, the magistrates slew Romulus, 
cut his body into pieces, and hid them under their wide togas. 

When the light returned, and the terrified and awestruck 

people, somewhat reassured, looked about them for their king, 

they were told he had gone, never to return, carried 

Quirinus. 

off by the immortal gods, who wished him to share 
their abode and dignity. The senators further informed the 
credulous population that Romulus was to be henceforth wor- 
shiped as a god under the name oj^Quirinus, and gave orders 
for the erection of a temple on one of the seven hills, which 
since then has been known as Mount Quirinal. Yearly festivals 
in Romulus' honor were ever after held irf Rome, under the name 
of Quirinalia. 

Well pleased with the new city of Rome and its turbulent, law- 
less citizens, Mars took it under his special protection ; and once, 



MARS. 143 

when a plague was raging which threatened to destroy all the 
people, the Romans rushed in a body to his temple, and clamored 
for a sign of his favor and protection. 

Even while they prayed, it is said, a shield, Ancile, fell from 
heaven, and a voice was distinctly heard to declare that Rome 
would endure as loner as this token of the god's 

j mi j r™ , 1 The Ancile. 

good will was preserved. 1 he very same day the 
plague ceased its frightful ravages, and the Romans, delighted 
with the result of their petitions, placed the heavenly shield in 
one of their principal temples. 

Then, in constant dread lest some of their enemies should suc- 
ceed in stealing it, they caused eleven other shields to be made, 
so exactly like the heaven-sent Ancile, that none but the guardian 
priests, the Salii, who kept continual watch over them, could 
detect the original from the facsimiles. During the month of 
. March , which, owing to its blustery weather, was dedicated to 
Mars and bore his name, the ancilae were carried in a proces- 
sion all through the city, the Salii chanting their rude war songs, 
and executing intricate war dances. 

A Roman general, ere setting out on any warlike expedition, 
always entered the sanctuary of Mars, touched the sacred shield 
with the point of his lance, shook the spear in the hand of the 
god's effigy, and called aloud, " Mars, watch over us ! " 

A common superstition among the Roman soldiery was, 
that Mars, under the name of Gradivus, marched worship 
in person at the head of their army7~arid led them of Mars - 
on to victory. Mars' principal votaries were therefore the Roman 
soldiers and youths, whose exercising ground was called, in his 
honor, the Campus Martius, or Field of Mars. All the laurel 
crowns bestowed upon victorious generals were deposited at the 
foot of his statues, and a bull was the customary thank offering 
after a successful campaign. 

" The soldier, from successful camps returning 
With laurel wreath'd, and rich with hostile spoil, 
Severs the bull to Mars." 

Prior. 



CHAPTER X. 

VULCAN. 

Vulcan, or Hephaestus, son of Jupiter and Juno, god of fire 

and the forge, seldom joined the general council of the gods. 

His aversion to Olympus was of old standing. He 

Vulcan's fall. J r , ■ , 

had once been tenderly attached to his mother, 
had lavished upon her every proof of his affection, and had 
even tried to console her when she mourned Jupiter's neglect. 
On one occasion, intending to punish Juno for one of her usual 
fits of jealousy, Jupiter hung her out of heaven, fast bound by a 
golden chain ; and Vulcan, perceiving her in this plight, tugged 
at the chain with all his might, drew her up, and was about to 
set her free, when Jupiter returned, and, in anger at his son's 
interference in his matrimonial concerns, kicked him out of 
heaven. 

The intervening space between heaven and earth was so great, 
that Vulcan's fall lasted during one whole day and night, ere he 
finally touched the summit of Mount Mosychlus, in the Island of 

Lemnos. 

" From morn 
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, 
A summer's day ; and with the setting sun 
Dropt from the zenith like a falling star, 
On Lemnos th' ^Egeanisle." 

Milton. 

Of course, to any one but a god such a terrible fall would have 
proved fatal ; and even Vulcan did not escape entirely unharmed, 
for he injured one of his legs, which accident left him lame and 
somewhat deformed for the remainder of his life. 

144 






VULCAN. 145 

Now, although Vulcan had risked so much and suffered so 
greatly in taking his mother's part, she never even made the 
slightest attempt to ascertain whether he had Vulcan's 
reached the earth in safety. Hurt by her indiffer- orge ' 

ence and ingratitude, Vulcan vowed never again to return to 
Olympus, and withdrew to the solitudes of Mount -^Etna, where 
he established a great forge in the heart of the mountain, in 
partnership with the Cyclopes, who helped him manufacture 
many cunning and useful objects from the metals found in great 
profusion in the bosom of the earth. 

Among these ingenious contrivances were two golden hand- 
maidens gifted with motion, who attended the god wherever he 
went, and supported his halting footsteps. 

" Two golden statues, like in form and look 
To living maidens, aided with firm gait 
The monarch's steps." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Vulcan also devised a golden throne with countless hidden 
springs, which, when unoccupied, did not present an extraordi- 
nary appearance ; but as soon as any one ventured The go id e n 
to make use of it, the springs moved, and, the chair throne, 
closing around the person seated upon it, frustrated all attempts 
to rise and escape from its treacherous embrace. 

Vulcan dispatched this throne, when completed, to his mother, 
who, delighted with its beauty and delicate workmanship, 
proudly seated herself upon it, and found herself a prisoner. In , 
vain she strove to escape, in vain the gods all gallantly rushed 
to her assistance. Their united strength and skill proved useless 
against the cunning springs. 

Finally . Mercury w as sent to Vulcan, primed with a most diplo- 
matic request to honor high Olympus with his presence ; but 
all Mercury's eloquence and persuasions failed to induce the god 
of the forge to leave his sooty abode, and the messenger god 
was forced to return alone and report the failure of his attempt. 




<i*6) 



VULCAN. 147 

Then the gods deliberated anew, and decided to send Bacchus, 
god of wine, hoping his powers of persuasion would prove more 
effective. 

Armed with a flask of his choicest vintage, Bacchus presented 
himself before Vulcan, and offered him a refreshing draught. 
Vulcan, predisposed to thirst, and incited to drink by the very- 
nature of his labor, accepted the offered cup, and allowed himself 
to be beguiled into renewing his potations, until he was quite 
intoxicated. In this condition, Bacchus led him passive to 
Olympus, made him release the Queen of Heaven, and urged 
him to embrace his father and crave forgiveness. 

Although restored to favor, Vulcan would not remain per- 
manently in Olympus, but preferred to return to his forge and 
continue his labors. He undertook, however, the construction 
of magnificent golden palaces for each of the gods upon the 
Olympian heights, fashioned their sumptuous furniture from pre- 
cious metals, and further embellished his work by a rich orna- 
mentation of precious stones. 

"Then to their starry domes the gods depart, 
The shining monuments of Vulcan's art: 
Jove on his couch reclin'd his awful head, 
And Juno slumber'd on the golden bed." 

, Homer (Pope's tr.). 

Aided by the Cyclopes, Vulcan manufactured Jupiter's weap- 
ons, the dread thunderbolts, whose frightful power none could 
withstand, and Cupid's love-inspiring darts. 

Vulcan, in spite of his deformity, extreme ugliness, and well- 
known aversion to any home but his sooty forge, was none the 
less prone to fall in love with the various god- Vulcan's 
desses. He first wooed Minerva, who, having loves - 

sworn never ~fd "many, contemptuously dismissed his suit. To 
console Vulcan for this rebuff, and at the same time punish the 
Goddess of Beauty, who, according to some mythologists, had 
refused even his addresses, Jupiter bestowed upon him the fair 



2 



148 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

hand of Venus, and sent her and her mischievous train of Loves 
and Graces to reside in the dark caves of Mount ^Etna. 

Amused by all the strange sights and sounds, the goddess at 
first seemed quite contented ; but after a time Vulcan's gloomy 
abode lost all its attractions : so she forsook her ill-favored hus- 
band, and went in search of another, more congenial mate. 

Some time after, Vulcan married one of the Graces, who, how- 
ever, seems to have also soon wearied of his society, for she de- 
serted him. 

Vulcan's children were mostly monsters, such as Cacus, Peri- 
phetes, Cercyon, etc., all of whom play an important part in 
heroic mythology. He is also the reputed father of Servius 
Tullius, sixth king of Rome, by a slave Ocrisia, whom he was 
wont to visit in the guise of a bright flame, which played harm- 
lessly about her. 

Vulcan was worshiped by all blacksmiths and artisans, who 
recognized him as their special patron, and venerated him ac- 
cordingly. 

" Those who labor 
The sweaty forge, who edge the crooked scythe, 
Bend stubborn steel, and harden gleaming armor, 
Acknowledge Vulcan's aid." 

Prior. 

Great festivals, the Vulcanalia and the Hephaestia, were cele- 
brated in honor of this god, who is generally represented as a 
short, muscular man, with one leg shorter than the other, a work- 
man's cap on his curly locks, a short upper garment, and a smith's 
tools in his hand. 



CHAPTER XL 



NEPTUNE. 



When Jupiter assigned to each of his brothers a separate por- 
tion of the universe, he decreed that Neptune, or Poseidon, 
should govern all the waters upon the face of the earth, and be 
sole monarch of the ocean. 

" Neptune, the mighty marine god, I sing; 
Earth's mover, and the fruitless ocean's king. 
That Helicon and th' ALgean deeps dost hold. 
O thou earth-shaker ; thy command, twofold 
The gods have sorted; making thee of horses 
The awful tamer, and of naval forces 
The sure preserver. Hail, O Saturn's birth ! 
Whose graceful green hair circles all the earth. 
Bear a benign mind; and thy helpful hand 
Lend all, submitted to thy dread command." 

Homer (Chapman's tr.). 

Before this new ruler made his appearance, the Titan 
Oceanus had wielded the scepter of the sea ; and regretfully he 
now resigned it to his youthful supplanter, whom he nevertheless 
admired sincerely, and described in glowing colors to his brothers. 

" Have ye beheld the young God of the Seas, 

My dispossessor ? Have ye seen his face? 

Have ye beheld his chariot, foam'd along 

By noble winged creatures he hath made ? 

I saw him on the calmed waters scud, 

With such a glow of beauty in his eyes, 

That it enforc'd me to bid sad farewell 

To all my empire." 

Keats. 

io H9 




(ISO) 



FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE.— Bologna. 
( Bologna.) 



NEPTUNE. 1 5 1 

Neptune, the personification as well as the god of the sea, was 
of an exceedingly encroaching disposition. Dissatisfied with the 
portion allotted him, he once conspired to dethrone Neptune's 
Jupiter ; but, unfortunately for the success of his exile - 

undertaking, his plot was discovered before he could put it into 
execution, and Jupiter, in punishment for his temerity, exiled him 
to earth. There he was condemned to build the walls of Troy 
for Laomedon, king of that city, who, in return, promised a 
handsome compensation. 

Apollo, also banished from heaven at that time, volunteered 
to aid Neptune by playing on his lyre, and moving the stones by 
the power of sweet sounds (p. 65). The task satisfactorily ended, 
Laomedon, an avaricious and dishonest king, refused the prom- 
ised guerdon, whereupon Neptune created a terrible monster, 
which came upon the shore, devoured the inhabitants, devastated 
everything within his 'reach, and inspired all with great terror. 

" A great serpent from the deep, 
Lifting his horrible head above their homes, 
Devoured the children." 

Lewis Morris. 

To save themselves from the awful death which threatened 
them all, the Trojans consulted an oracle, who advised the sacri- 
fice of a beautiful virgin, and promised the monster would disap- 
pear as soon as he had devoured the appointed victim. 

A young girl was therefore chosen by lot, led down to the 
seashore, and chained by the priest's owrThands to a slimy rock. 
As soon as her mourning friends had forsaken her, story of 
the hideous serpent came out of his lair in the Hesione. 
waves, and devoured her; then he vanished, and nothing more 
was heard of him for a whole year, at the end of which time he 
reappeared, and resumed his former depredations, which were 
only checked by the sacrifice of a second virgin. 

Year after year, however, he returned, and year after year a 
fair girl was doomed to perish, until finally the lot fell upon 



152 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Hesione, the king's only daughter. He could not bear the 
thought of the terrible fate awaiting her, and tried every means 
in his power to save her. As a last resort he sent heralds to 
publish far and wide that the king would give a great reward 
to any man who would dare attack and succeed in slaying the 
monster. 

Hercules, on his return from the scene of one of his stupen- 
dous labors, heard the proclamation, and, with no other weapon 
than the oaken club he generally carried, slew the monster just 
as he was about to drag poor Hesione down into his slimy cave. 
Laomedon was, of course, overjoyed at the monster's death, but, 
true to _ his nature, again refused the promised reward, and by 
his dishonesty incurred the hatred and contempt of this hero 
also. Some time after, having finished his time of servitude 
with Eurystheus, Hercules, aided by a chosen band of adven- 
turers, came to Troy to punish him for his perfidy. The city 
was stormed and taken, the king slain, and his wife and children 
carried to Greece as captives. There Hesione became the bride 
of Telamon ; while her brother Podarces, later known as Priam, 
was redeemed by his people and made King of Troy. 

Laomedon's failure to pay his just debts was the primary 
cause of the enmity which Apollo and Neptune displayed towards 
the Trojans during their famous war with the Greeks (p. 305). 

Their term of exile ended, the gods were reinstated in their 
exalted positions, and hastened to resume their former occupa- 
Neptune's tions ; but, in spite of the severe lesson just re- 
contests, ceived, Neptune was not yet cured of his grasping 
tendencies. Not long after his return from Troy, he quarreled 
with Minerva for the possession of the then recently founded 
city of Athens, then nameless, and entered into the memorable 
contest in which he was signally defeated (p. 57). He also 
disputed the sovereignty of Trcezene with Minerva, and that of 
Corinth with Apollo. In the latter instance, the disputants 
having chosen Briareus as umpire, the prize was awarded to him 
as the most powerful of all the gods except Jupiter. 



NEPTUNE. 153 

As god of the sea, Neptune did not generally remain in 
Olympus, but dwelt way down in the coral caves of his king- 
dom, over which he ruled with resistless sway. By Neptune's 
one word he could stir up or calm the wildest power, 
storm, and cause the billows to roar with fury or subside into 
peaceful ripples. 

■" He spake, and round about him called the clouds 
And roused the ocean, —wielding in his hand 
The trident, — summoned all the hurricanes 
Of all the winds, and covered earth and sky 
At once with mists, while from above the night 
Fell suddenly." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.).. 

The rivers, fountains, lakes, and seas were not only subject to 
his rule, but he could also cause terrible earthquakes at will, and, 
when he pleased, raise islands from the deep, as he did when La-| 
tona entreated him to shelter her from Juno's persecutions (p. 62)/ 

Neptune is said to have loved the goddess Ceres, and to have 
followed her during her prolonged search for her daughter, Pro- 
serpina. Annoyed by his persistent wooing, the goddess, to escape 
him, assumed the form of a mare ; but the God of the Sea, not at 
all deceived by this stratagem, straightway assumed the form of 
a horse, in which guise he contentedly trotted after her and re- 
newed his attentions. 

The offspring of this equine pair was Arion, a wonderful 
winged steed, gifted with the power of speech, whose early edu- 
cation was intrusted to the Nereides. They trained Neptune's 
him to draw his father's chariot over the waves with wives, 

incredible rapidity, and parted with him regretfully when he was 
given to Copreus, Pelops' son. This marvelous horse passed 
successively into Hercules' and Adrastus' hands; and the latter 
won all the chariot races, thanks to his fleetness. 

On another occasion, Neptune, having fallen deeply in love 
with a maiden named Theophane, and fearful lest some one of 
her numerous suitors should find favor in her eyes before he had 



154 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

time to urge his wooing, suddenly changed her into a sheep, and 
conveyed her to the Island of Crumissa, where he assumed the 
guise of a ram, and, in this metamorphosed condition, carried 
on his courtship, which eventually proved successful. The off- 
spring of this union was the golden-fleeced ram which bore 
Phryxus in safety to the Colchian shores, and whose pelt was the 
goal of the Argonautic expedition (p. 265). 

Neptune also loved and married Medusa in the days of her 
youth and beauty, and when some drops of blood fell from her 
severed head into the salt sea foam, he produced from them the 
graceful winged steed Pegasus (p. 244). 

Neptune is also said to be the father of the giants Otus and 
Ephialtes, of Neleus, Pelias, and Polyphemus. 

The Queen of the Ocean, Neptune's own true and lawful wife, 

was a Nereid, one of the fifty daughters of Doris and Nereus, — 

the personification of the calm and sunlit aspect of 

Amphitrite. . . • 

the sea. Her name was Amphitrite, or Salacia. 
At first she was in great awe of her distinguished suitor, and 
in her fear fled at his approach, leaving him no chance to ad- 
mire any of her charms, except the grace and celerity with which 
she managed to flit, or rather glide, out of his sight. 

" Along the deep 
With beauteous ankles, Amphitrite glides." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

This conduct grieved Neptune so sorely, that_he sent a dol- 
phin to plead his cause, and persuade the fair nymph to share 
his throne. The messenger, carefully instructed beforehand, 
carried out the directions with such skill, that Amphitrite formally 
consented to become Neptune's wife. 

The King of the Deep was so overjoyed at these good tidings, 
that he transferred the dolphin to the sky, where he forms a 
well-known constellation. Neptune and Amphitrite in due time 
became the happy parents of several children, among whom the 
most celebrated is Triton, whose body was half man and half 
fish, and who gave his name to all his male descendants. 



NEPTUNE. 155 

Like all other gods, Neptune took a lively interest in men's 
affairs, and sometimes interfered in their behalf. On one occasion, 
for instance, he even lent his beautiful chariot to a story of Idas 
youth by the name of Idas, who, loving a maiden and Mar P essa - 
dearly, and unable to win her father's consent to their union, had 
resolved to kidnap her. Marpessa, for such was the lady's name, 
allowed herself to be carried off without protest ; and the lovers 
were blissfully speeding along in Neptune's chariot, when her 
father, Evenus, perceiving their escape, started in pursuit of them. 
In spite of the most strenuous efforts, he could not overtake the 
fleeing pair, and in his anger plunged into a river, where he was 
drowned, and which from him received the name of Evenus. 

Idas and Marpessa were just congratulating themselves upon 
their narrow escape, when suddenly Apollo appeared before 
them, and, checking their steeds, declared he loved the maiden 
too, and would not tamely yield her up to a rival. 

This was quite equivalent to a challenge ; and Idas, stepping 
down from the chariot, was about to engage in the fight, when 
suddenly out of a clear sky a thunderbolt came crashing down 
to earth, and an imperious voice was heard to declare that the 
quarrel could be settled by Marpessa only, and that she should 
freely choose the suitor she preferred as husband. 

The maiden glanced at both her lovers, and quickly reviewed 
their respective attractions. Remembering that Apollo, being 
immortal, would retain all his youthful bloom when her more 
ephemeral beauty had vanished, and that he would then probably 
cease to love her, she held out her hand to Idas, declaring she 
preferred to link her fate- to that of a mortal, who would grow 
old when she did, and love her as long as they both lived. This 
choice was approved by Jupiter ; and the lovers, after reach- 
ing a place of safety, returned the wondrous chariot to Nep- 
tune, with many grateful thanks for his timely aid. Neptune's 

All the Nereides, Tritons, and lesser sea divini- attendants, 
ties formed a part of Neptune and Amphitrite's train, and fol- 
lowed closely when they rode forth to survey their kingdom. 



156 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Neptune had, besides this, many subordinates, whose duty it 
was to look after various seas, lakes, rivers, fountains, etc., con- 
fided to their special care. In harmony with their occupations, 
these divinities were either hoary river gods (such as Father 
Nile), slender youths, beautiful maidens, or little babbling chil- 
dren. They seldom left the cool waves of their appointed dwell- 
ings, and strove to win Neptune's approbation mostly by the 
zeal they showed in the discharge of their various duties. 

Proteus, too, another inferior deity, had the care of the flocks 
of the deep, and he always attended Neptune when it was safe to 
leave his great herds of sea calves to bask on the sunny shores. 

" In ages past old Proteus, with his droves 
Of sea calves, sought the mountains and the groves." 

COWPER. 

In common with all the other gods, Proteus enjoyed the gift 

of prophecy, and had the power to assume any shape he pleased. 

■ The former sift he was wont to exercise very re- 

Proteus. & . J 

luctantly ; and when mortals wished to consult him, 
he would change his form with bewildering rapidity, and, unless 
they clung to him through all his changes, they could obtain no 
answer to their questions. 

" Shouting [we] seize the god : our force t' evade, 
His various arts he soon resumes in aid : 
A lion now, he curls a surgy mane ; 
Sudden, our hands a spotted pard restrain ; 
Then, arm'd with tusks, and lightning in his eyes, 
A boar's obscener shape the god belies: 
On spiry volumes, there, a dragon rides ; 
Here, from our strict embrace a stream he glides ; 
And last, sublime, his stately growth he rears, 
A tree, and well-dissembled foliage wears." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

But if these manifestations proved unavailing to drive his 
would-be hearers away, the god answered every question cir- 
cumstantially. 




(i57) 



158 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Amphitrite, Neptune's wife, — generally represented as a beau- 
tiful nude nymph, crowned with seaweed, and reclining in a 
pearl-shell chariot drawn by dolphins, or sea-horses, — was wor- 
shiped with her husband. 

Neptune, majestic and middle-aged, with long, flowing hair 
and beard, wearing a seaweed crown, and brandishing a trident, or 

Worship of three-pronged fork, was widely worshiped through- 

Neptune. out Greece and Italy, and had countless shrines. 
His principal votaries were the seamen and horse trainers, who 
often bespoke his aid. 

" Hail, Neptune, greatest of the gods ! 
Thou ruler of the salt sea floods ; 
Thou with the deep and dark-green hair, 
That dost the golden trident bear; 
Thou that, with either arm outspread, 
Embosomest the earth we tread : 
Thine are the beasts with fin and scales, 
That round thy chariot, as it sails, 
Plunging and tumbling, fast and free, 
All reckless follow o'er the sea." 

Arion. 

Many large temples were dedicated exclusively to the worship 
of Neptune, and games were frequently celebrated in his honor. 
The most noted of all were undoubtedly the Isthmian Games, — 
a national festival, held every four years at Corinth, on the isth- 
mus of the same name. Hither people came from all points of 
the compass, and all parts of the then known world, either to wit- 
ness or to take part in the noted wrestling, boxing, and racing 
matches, or in the musical and poetical contests. 



CHAPTER XII. 



PLUTO. 



Pluto l (Dis, Hades, Orcus, Aidoneus), son of Cronus and 
Rhea, received as his share of the world the supervision of the 
Infernal Regions, situated beneath the earth, and was also ap- 
pointed god of the dead and of riches, for all precious metals 
are buried deep in the bosom of the earth. 

This god inspired all men with a great fear. They never spoke 
of him without trembling, and fervently prayed that they might 
never see his face ; for, when he appeared on the surface of the 
earth, it was only in search of some victim to drag down into his 
dismal abode, or to make sure there was no crevice through 
which a sunbeam might glide to brighten its gloom and dispel its 
shadows. Whenever the stern god set out on one of these ex- 
peditions, he rode in a chariot drawn by four coal-black steeds ; 
and, if any obstacle presented itself to impede his progress, he 
struck it with his two-pronged fork, the emblem of his power, 
•and the obstacle was immediately removed. It was on one of 
these occasions that Pluto kidnapped Proserpina, the fair goddess 
of vegetation, daughter of Ceres, whom he set on his throne in 
Hades, and crowned his queen (p. 183). 

1 Besides this Pluto, god of the Infernal Regions, the Greeks also worshiped 
Plutus, a son of Ceres and Jason, who was known exclusively as the god of 
wealth. Abandoned in infancy, he was brought up by Pax, the goddess of 
peace, who is often represented holding him in her lap. Because Plutus in- 
sisted upon bestowing his favors upon good and noble mortals only, Jupiter 
soon deprived him of his sight. Since then the blind god's gifts have been 
distributed indiscriminately. 

159 



160 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Pluto is always represented as a stern, dark, bearded man, with 
tightly closed lips, a crown on his head, a scepter and a key in 
Worship of hand, to show how carefully he guards those who 
Pluto. enter his domains, and how vain are their hopes to 

effect their escape. No temples were dedicated to him, and 
statues of this god are very rare. Human sacrifices were some- 
times offered on his altars ; and at his festivals, held every hun- 
dred years, and thence called Secular Games, none but black 
animals were slain. 

His kingdom, generally called Hades, was very difficult of 

access. According to Roman traditions, it could only be entered 

at Avernus, but the Greeks asserted that there was 

Hades. ' 

another entrance near the Promontory of Taena- 
rum. Both nations agreed, however, in saying that it was an 
almost impossible feat to get out again if one were rash enough 
to venture in. 

" To the shades you go a down-hill, easy way; 
But to return and re-enjoy the day, 
This is a work, a labor ! " 

Virgil. 

To prevent all mortals from entering, and all spirits from 
escaping, Pluto placed a huge three-headed dog, called Cerberus, 
to guard the gate. 

" There in state old Cerberus sate, 
A three-headed dog, as cruel as Fate, 
Guarding the entrance early and late." 

, Saxe. 

From thence a long subterranean passage, through which 
shadowy spirits glided incessantly, led to the throne room, where 
Pluto and Proserpina sat in state, clad in their sable robes. 
From the foot of this throne flowed the rivers which channeled 
the Lower World. One, the Cocytus, rolled salt waves, composed 
of naught but the tears flowing continually from the eyes of the 



PLUTO. 161 

criminals condemned to hard labor in Tartarus, the portion of 
Hades reserved for the exclusive use of the wicked. 

" Cocytus, named of lamentation loud 
Heard on the rueful stream." 

Homer. 

To separate this section from the remainder of his realm, Pluto 
surrounded it with the Phl'egethon, a river of fire ; while the 
Acheron, a black and deep stream, was to be passed Rivers of 
by all souls ere they reached Pluto's throne and Hades, 

heard his decree. The current of this river was so swift, that 
even the boldest swimmer could not pass over; and, as there 
was no bridge, all the spirits were obliged to rely upon the aid of 
Charon, an aged boatman, who plied the only available skiff — 
a leaky, worm-eaten punt — from shore to shore. Neither would 
he allow any soul to enter his bark, unless he was first given a 
small coin, called the obolus, the ferryman's fare, which the an- 
cients carefully laid under the tongue of the dead, that they 
might pass on to Pluto without delay. Charon's leaky boat no 
sooner touched the shore than a host of eager spirits pressed for- 
ward to claim a place. The cruel boatman repulsed them roughly, 
and brandished his oars, while he leisurely selected those he 
would next ferry across the stream. 

" The shiv'ring army stands, 
And press for passage with extended hands. 
Now these, now those, the surly boatman bore; 
The rest he drove to distance from the shore." 

Virgil (Dryden's tr.). 

All those who could not produce the required obolus were 
obliged to wait one hundred years, at the end of which time 
Charon reluctantly ferried them over free of charge. 

There was also in Hades the sacred river Styx, by whose 
waters the gods swore their most irrevocable oaths ; and the 
blessed Lethe, whose waters had the power to make one forget all 
unpleasant things, thus preparing the good for a state of endless 
bliss in the Elysian Fields. 



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(i6 2 ) 



PLUTO. 163 

"Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls 

Her wat'ry labrinth, whereof who drinks, 
Forthwith his former state and being forgets, ■ 
Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain." 

Milton. 

Near Pluto's throne were seated the three judges of Hades, 
Minos, Rhadamanthus, and ^Eacus, whose duty it was to question 
all newly arrived souls, to sort out the confused 
mass of good and bad thoughts and actions, and 
place them in the scales of Themis, the blindfolded, impartial god.- 
dess of justice, who bore a trenchant sword to indicate that her 
decrees would be mercilessly enforced. If the good outweighed 
the evil, the spirit was led to the Elysian Fields ; but if, on the 
contrary, the evil prevailed, the spirit was condemned to suffer in 
the fires of Tartarus. 

" Where his decrees 
The guilty soul within the burning gates 
Of Tartarus compel, or send the good 
To inhabit, with eternal health and peace, 

The valley of Elysium." 

Akenside. 

The guilty souls were always intrusted to the three snake-locked 
Furies (Erinnyes, or Eumenides), who drove them with their sting- 
ing lashes to the gates of Tartarus. These deities, 

, 1 1 -i 1 r » 1 'The Furies. 

who were sisters, and children of Acheron and 
Nyx, were distinguished by the individual names of Alecto, Tisiph- 
one, and Megaera, and with Nemesis, goddess of revenge, were 
noted for their hard hearts and the merciless manner in which 
they hurried the ghosts intrusted to their care over the fiery 
flood of the Phlegethon, and through the brazen gates of their 
future place of incessant torment. 

"There rolls swift Phlegethon, with thund'ring sound, 
His broken rocks, and whirls his surges round. 
On mighty columns rais'd sublime are hung 
The massy gates, impenetrably strong. 




(i6 4 ) 



THE THREE FATES. — Thumann. 



PLUTO. 165 

In vain would men, in vain would gods essay, 
To hew the beams of adamant away. 
Here rose an iron tow'r: before the gate, 
By night and day, a wakeful Fury sate, 
The pale Tisiphone ; a robe she wore, 
With all the pomp of horror, dy'd in gore." 

Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.). 

The three Fates (Moerae, Parcse), sisters, also sat near Pluto's 
throne. Clotho, the youngest, spun the thread of 
life, in which the bright and dark lines were inter- 
mingled. Lachesis, the second, twisted it ; and under her fingers 
it was now strong, now weak. 

" Twist ye, twine ye ! even so, 
Mingle shades of joy and woe, 
Hope, and fear, and peace, and strife, 
In the thread of human life." 

Scott. 

Atropos, the third sister, armed with a huge pair of shears, re- 
morselessly cut short the thread of life, — an intimation that an- 
other soul would ere long find its way down into the dark king- 
dom of Hades. 

When the gates of Tartarus turned on their hinges to receive 
the newcomer, a chorus of cries, groans, and impre- 

r • 1 ■ r 11 i • • -i 1 • 1 Tartarus. 

cations from withm fell upon his ear, mingled with 

the whistling of the whips incessantly plied by retributive deities. 

" What sounds were heard, 
What scenes appeared, 
O'er all the dreary coasts ! 

Dreadful gleams, 

Dismal screams, 

Fires that glow, 

Shrieks of woe, 

Sullen moans, 

Hollow groans, 
And cries of tortured ghosts." 

Pope. 
II 



1 66 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Many victims renowned while on earth for their cruelty 

found here the just punishment of their sins. Attention was first 

attracted by a group of beautiful maidens, who 

The Danaides. . , J * r , , ' 

carried water to fill a bottomless cask. Down to 
the stream they hastened, a long procession, filled their urns with 
water, painfully clambered up the steep and slippery bank, and 
poured their water into the cask ; but when, exhausted and ready 
to faint from fatigue, they paused to rest for a moment, the cut- 
ting lash fell upon their bare shoulders, and spurred them on to 
renewed efforts to complete a task so hopeless that it has become 
proverbial. 

These fair maidens were the Danaides, daughters of Danaus, 
who had pledged his fifty daughters to the fifty sons of his 
brother ^Egyptus. The marriage preparations were all completed, 
when Danaus suddenly remembered an ancient prophecy which 
had quite escaped his memory, and which foretold that he would 
perish by the hand of his son-in-law. 

It was now too late to prevent the marriages, so, calling his 
daughters aside, he told them what the oracle had said, and, giv- 
ing them each a sharp dagger, bade them slay their husbands on 
their wedding night. The marriages were celebrated, as was cus- 
tomary, with mirth, dance, and song ; and the revelry continued 
until late at night, when, the guests having departed, the newly 
married couples retired. But as soon as Danaus' daughters were 
quite certain their husbands were fast asleep, they produced their 
daggers and slew their mates. 

" Danaus arm'd each daughter's hand 
To stain with blood the bridal bed." 

Euripides (Potter's tr'). 

One of the brides only, Hypermnestra, loved her husband too 
dearly to obey her father's command, and, when morning broke, 
only forty-nine of ^Egyptus' sons were found lifeless. The sole 
survivor, Lynceus, to avenge his brothers' death, slew Danaus, 
thus fulfilling the ominous prophecy ; while the gods, incensed 



PLUTO. 167 

by the Danaides' heartlessness, sent them to Hades, where they 
were compelled to fill the bottomless cask. 

Tartarus also detained within its brazen portals a cruel king 
named Tantalus (the father of Niobe), who, while on earth, had 
starved and ill-treated his subjects, insulted the 

J . Tantalus. 

immortal gods, and on one occasion had even 
dared to cook and serve up to them his own son Pelops. Most 
of the gods were immediately aware of the deception practiced 
upon them, and refused the new dish ; but Ceres, who was very 
melancholy on account of the recent loss of her daughter, paid 
no heed to what was offered her, and in a fit of absent-minded- 
ness ate part of the lad's shoulder. 

The gods in pity restored the youth to life, and Ceres re- 
placed the missing shoulder with one of ivory or of gold. Driven 
away from his kingdom, which was seized by the King of Troy, 
Pelops took refuge in Greece, where he ruled the extensive 
peninsula, the Peloponnesus, which still bears his name. 

To punish the inhuman Tantalus, the gods then sent him to 
Tartarus, where he stood up to his chin in a stream of pure 
water, tormented with thirst ; for, whenever he stooped to drink, 
the waters fled from his parched lips. Over his head hung a 
branch of luscious fruit. His hunger was as intolerable as his 
thirst ; but, whenever he clutched at the fruit, the branch swung 
upward, and eluded his eager grasp. 

" Above, beneath, around his hapless head, 
Trees of all kinds delicious fruitage spread. 
The fruit he strives to seize ; but blasts arise, 
Toss it on high, and whirl it to the skies." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

This singular punishment inflicted upon Tantalus gave rise to 
the expression " to tantalize." 

Another criminal was Sisyphus, who, while king of Corinth, 
had misused his power, had robbed and killed trav- 
elers, and even deceived the gods. His reprehen- 
sible conduct was punished in Tartarus, where he was condemned 



1 68 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

to roll a huge stone to the top of a very steep hill; and just as 
he reached the summit, and fancied his task done, the rock would 
slip from his grasp and roll to the foot of the hill, thus obliging 
him to renew all his exertions. 

"With many a weary step, and many a groan, 
Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone; 
The huge round stone, resulting with a bound, 
Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground. 
Again the restless orb his toil renews, 
Dust mounts in clouds, and sweat descends in dews." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

Salmoneus, another king, had vainly tried to make his subjects 

believe he was Jupiter. To that effect, he had once driven over 

a brazen bridge to imitate the roll of thunder, and, 

to simulate the thunderbolts, had thrown lighted 

torches down upon the multitude, purposely assembled below. 

" Th' audacious wretch four fiery coursers drew: 
He wav'd a torch aloft, and, madly vain, 
Sought godlike worship from a servile train. 
Ambitious fool, with horny hoofs to pass 
O'er hollow arches of resounding brass, 
To rival thunder in its rapid course, 
And imitate inimitable force ! " 

Virgil (Dryden's tr.). 

This insolent parody so incensed Jupiter, that he grasped one 
of his deadliest thunderbolts, brandished it aloft for a moment, 
and then hurled it with vindictive force at the arrogant king. In 
Tartarus, Salmoneus was placed beneath an overhanging rock, 
which momentarily threatened to fall, and crush him under its 

mass. 

" He was doomed to sit under a huge stone, 

Which the father of the gods 

Kept over his head suspended. 

Thus he sat 

In continual dread of its downfall, 

And lost to every comfort. " 

Pindar. 



PLUTO. 169 

Still farther on was the recumbent form of Tityus, a giant whose 
body covered nine acres of ground. He had 

. . Tityus. 

dared offer an insult to Juno, and in punishment 

was chained like Prometheus, while a vulture feasted on his liver. 

" There Tityus was to see, who took his birth 
From heav'n, his nursing from the foodful earth : 
Here his gigantic limbs, with large embrace, 
Infold nine acres of infernal space. 
A rav'nous vulture in his open side 
Her crooked beak and cruel talons try'd : 
Still for the growing liver digg'd his breast, 
The growing liver still supply'd the feast." 

Virgil (Dryden's tr.). 



Here in Tartarus, too, was Ixion, king of the Lapithae, who 
had been given the hand of Dia in marriage on condition that he 
would give her father a stipulated sum of money 
in exchange, but who, as soon as the maiden was 
his, refused to keep his promise. The father-in-law was an ava- 
ricious man, and clamored so loudly for his money, that Ixion, to 
be rid ..of his importunities, slew him. Such an act of violence 
could not be overlooked by the gods : so Jupiter summoned Ixion 
to appear before him and state his case. 

Ixion pleaded so skillfully, that Jupiter was about to declare 
him acquitted, when he suddenly caught him making love to 
Juno, which offense seemed so unpardonable, that he sent him 
to Tartarus, where he was bound to a constantly revolving wheel 
of fire. 

" Proud Ixion (doom'd to feel 
The tortures of the eternal wheel, 
Bound by the hand of angry Jove) 
Received the due rewards of impious love." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Far out of sight and hearing of the pitiful sounds which so 
constantly rose out of Tartarus, were the Elysian Fields, lighted 



170 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

by a sun and moon of their own, decked with the most fragrant 
and beautiful of flowers, and provided with every charm that 
El sian Fields nature or art could supply. No storms or wintry 
winds ever came to rob these fields of their spring- 
like beauty ; and here the blessed spent eternity, in pleasant com- 
munion with the friends they had loved on earth. 

" Patriots who perished for their country's rights, 
Or nobly triumphed in the fields of fight : 
There holy priests and sacred poets stood, 
Who sang with all the raptures of a god : 
Worthies whose lives by useful arts refined ; 
With those who leave a deathless name behind, 
Friends of the world, and fathers of mankind." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

BACCHUS. 

Among all the mortal maidens honored by the love of Jupiter, 
king of the gods, none was more attractive than Semele, daughter 
of Cadmus and Harmonia. 

" For Semele was molded in the form 
Of elegance ; the beauty of her race 
Shone in her forehead." 

Nonnus (Elton's tr.). 

Although conscious of these superior attractions, Semele was 
excessively coy, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that 
Jupiter, disguised as a mortal, could urge his love Story of 
suit. When he had at last obtained a hearing, he Semele. 
told her who he was, calculating upon the effect which such a 
revelation must necessarily produce. 

He was not mistaken in his previsions, for Semele, proud of hav- 
ing attracted the greatest among the gods, no longer offered any 
resistance, and consented to their union. Their love grew and 
prospered, and Jupiter came down from Olympus as often as pos- 
sible to enjoy the society of his beloved. His frequent absences 
finally aroused Juno's suspicions, and, as usual, she spared no 
pains to discover what powerful charm could draw him from her 
side. After a few days she knew all, and straightway determined 
to have her revenge, and punish her fickle spouse. To accomplish 
this successfully, she assumed the face and form of Beroe, Semele's 
old nurse, and thus entered the young princess's apartment quite 
unsuspected. 

171 



I7 2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" Old Beroe's decrepit shape she wears, 
Her wrinkled visage, and her hoary hairs; 
Whilst in her trembling gait she totters on, 
And learns to tattle in the nurse's tone. " 

Ovid (Addison's tr.). 

There she immediately entered into conversation with her sup- 
posed nursling, artfully extracted a complete confession, heard 
with suppressed rage how long Jupiter had wooed ere he had 
finally won the maiden's consent, and received a rapturous and 
minute catalogue of all his personal charms and a synopsis of all 
they had both said. 

The false nurse listened, with apparent sympathy ; but in reality 
she was furious, and, to put an end to it all, asked Semele if 
she were quite sure he was king of the gods, as he asserted, and 
whether he visited her in all the pomp of his regal apparel. 
The maiden shamefacedly replied that he was wont to visit her 
in the guise of a mortal only; whereupon Beroe, with feigned 
indignation, told her nursling he must either be a vile impostor, 
or else that he did not love her as dearly as he loved Juno, in 
whose presence he seldom appeared except in godlike array. 

With artful words she so worked upon the guileless nature of her 
rival, that, when Jupiter next came, the maiden used all her blan- 
dishments to extort from him a solemn oath to grant any request 
she chose to make. A lover is not very likely to weigh his 
words under such circumstances, and Jupiter took the most 
solemn of all the oaths to gratify her whim. 

" l Bear me witness, Earth, and ye, broad Heavens 
Above us, and ye, waters of the Styx, 
That flow beneath us, mightiest oath of all, 
And most revered by the blessed gods ! ' "' 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

The promise won, the delighted Semele bade her lover speed- 
ily return to Olympus, don his own majestic form and apparel, 
and hasten back to her side, surrounded by all his heavenly 



BACCHUS. . 173 

pomp, and armed with his dreaded thunderbolts. Jupiter, horri- 
fied at this imprudent request, implored her to ask something else, 
and release him from a promise fraught with such danger to her ; 
but all in vain. Semele, like many another fair lady, enjoyed 
having her own way, and fairly forced him to obey. 

Jupiter returned to Olympus, modified his costume as much 
as possible, dimmed his glory wherever he could, and chose the 
feeblest of all his bolts, for well he knew no mere mortal could 
endure the shock of his full glory. Then, mounted on a pale 
flash of lightning, he darted back to Semele. 

" To keep his promise he ascends, and shrouds 
His awful brow in whirlwinds and in clouds ; 
Whilst all around, in terrible array, 
His thunders rattle, and his lightnings play. 
And yet, the dazzling luster to abate, 
He set not out in all his pomp and state, 
Clad in the mildest lightning of the skies, 
And arm'd with thunder of the smallest size : 
Not those huge bolts, by which the giants slain, 
Lay overthrown on the Phlegrean plain. 
'Twas of a lesser mold, and lighter weight ; 
They call it thunder of a second-rate. 
For the rough Cyclops, who by Jove's command 
Temper'd the bolt and turn'd it to his hand, 
Work'd up less flame and fury in its make, 
And quench'd it sooner in the standing lake. 
Thus dreadfully adorn'd, with horror bright, 
Th' illustrious god, descending from his height, 
Came rushing on her in a storm of light." 

Ovid (Addison's tr.). 

But, although so much milder than usual, this apparition was 
more than poor Semele's human nerves could bear, and she 
dropped to the floor in a swoon at the first glimpse of her lover. 
Oblivious of all but her alarming condition, Jupiter sprang to her 
side ; but the lightning which played about his head set fire to 
the whole palace, which was reduced to ashes. 



174 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Semele herself perished, burned to death ; and the only person 
in all the building who escaped uninjured was Bacchus (Liber, 
Birth of Dionysus), the infant son of Jupiter and Semele, 
Bacchus. w j 10 was save d by hj s father's powerful hand. 
Jupiter was at first inconsolable at the death of Semele ; and, to 
testify to all mortals how fondly he had loved her, he brought her 
spirit up to heaven, where he raised her to the rank of a deity. 

" Semele of the flowing hair, 
Who died in Thunder's crashing flame, 
To deified existence came." 

Prior. 

The infant Bacchus was first intrusted to the care of his aunt 
Ino, the second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, who nursed 
him as tenderly as if he had been her own child. But all her 
love could not avail to screen him from the effects of Juno's 
persistent hatred : so Jupiter, fearing lest some harm might befall 
his precious son, bade Mercury convey him to the distant home 
of the Nysiades, — nymphs who guarded him most faithfully. 

Juno, not daring to continue her persecutions, wreaked all her 
anger upon poor Ino and her unhappy household by sending the 
Fury Tisiphone to goad Athamas to madness. In a fit of deluded 
frenzy, he pursued his wife and children as if they were wild 
beasts. One of his sons, Learchus, fell beneath his arrows ; and, 
to escape his murderous fury, Ino plunged headlong into the sea 
with her second child in her arms. The gods, in pity for her 
sufferings, changed her into the goddess Leucothea, and her son 
into a sea deity by the name of Palsemon. 

When still but a youth, Bacchus was appointed god of wine 
and revelry, and intrusted to the guidance of Silenus, a satyr, 

Bacchus' half man and half goat, who educated him, and 

attendants. accompanied him on all his travels ; for he de- 
lighted in roaming all over the world, borne by his followers, or 
riding in his chariot drawn by wild beasts, while his tutor fol- 
lowed him, mounted on an ass, supported on either side by an 
attendant. 




BACCHUS. — (Vatican, Rome.) 



(175) 



I7 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" And near him rode Silenus on his ass, 
Pelted with flowers as he on did pass." 

Keats. 

Bacchus' train was very large indeed, and composed of men 
and women, nymphs, fauns, and satyrs, all crowned with ivy 
leaves, who drank wine, — ■ a drink compounded for their express 
use out of water and sunshine, — ate grapes, danced and sang, 
and loudly proclaimed him their chosen leader. 

" ' We follow Bacchus ! Bacchus on the wing, 
A conquering ! 
Bacchus, young Bacchus ! good or ill betide, 
We dance before him thorough kingdoms wide.' " 

Keats. 

The most unruly among his female followers were the Bac- 
chantes, who delighted in revelry, and were in a perpetual state 
of intoxication as they went with him from land to land, where 
he taught the people the cultivation of the vine and the art of 
making wine. He traveled thus, it is said, throughout Greece 
and Asia Minor, and even ventured as far as India and Ethiopia. 

During these long journeys, Bacchus, as was inevitable, met 

with many adventures, which have been fertile themes for poetry 

Bacchus and and art. On one occasion, having strayed away 

the pirates. f r0 m his followers and lost his way, Bacchus laid 
himself down upon the sand on the seashore to rest. Some 
pirates, sailing by, saw the handsome young sleeper, and noise- 
lessly bore him off to their vessel, intending to sell him as a slave 
in Egypt. 

They were already quite far out at sea when the god awoke, 
and gazed around him in mute wonder at his surroundings. 
When fully roused, he bade the seamen take him back to land, 
but they merely replied by laughter and mockery. Their amuse- 
ment was cut short, however, for the ship came to a sudden 
standstill ; and, when they leaned over the sides to ascertain why 
their oars could no longer propel it onward, they saw a vine 



BACCHUS. 177 

grow out of the sea, and twine its branches and tendrils with light- 
ning-like velocity around oars, mast, and rigging, thus transform- 
ing the vessel into a floating arbor. Then a sound of music and 
revelry greeted their astonished ears, and Bacchus' followers 
came thronging over the ship's sides, riding on wild beasts, and 
chanting the praises of their god and of his favorite beverage. 

" In chorus we sing of wine, sweet wine, 
Its power benign, and its flavor divine." 

Martinez de la Rosa. 

These extraordinary sights and sounds so bewildered the poor 
sailors, that they lost all presence of mind, and jumped overboard 
into the sea, where they were drowned and changed into dolphins. 

On another occasion, Silenus, after a great carousal, lost his 
way in the forest, and helplessly wandered from place to place 
in search of his companions, until he finally came to the court 
of Midas, King of Lydia, of ass's ears fame (p. 75). 

Midas no sooner beheld the red nose and bloated appearance 
of the wanderer, than he recognized him as Bacchus' tutor, and 
volunteered to lead him back to his divine pupil. The curse of 
Delighted to see Silenus again, Bacchus promised gold - 

Midas any reward he wished ; whereupon Midas, who was an 
avaricious old king, fell upon his knees, and humbly besought 
the god to grant that all he touched might be changed into gold. 

" ' Give me/ says he (nor thought he ask'd too much), 
'That with my body whatsoe'er I touch, 
Changed from the nature which it held of old, 
- May be converted into yellow gold.' " 

Ovid (Croxall's tr.). 

Bacchus immediately signified that his prayer was granted; 
and Midas, overjoyed at the success of his bold venture, wan- 
dered back to his palace, testing his new-won power, which 
changed all to gold at a mere touch of one of his fingers. 

" Down from a lowly branch a twig he drew, 
The twig straight glitter'd with a golden hue. 



178 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

He takes a stone, the stone was turn'd to gold : 

A clod he touches, and the crumbling mold 

Acknowledged soon the great transforming power, 

In weight and substance like a mass of ore. 

He pluck'd the corn, and straight his grasp appears 

FilPd with a bending tuft of golden ears. 

An apple next he takes, and seems to hold 

The bright Hesperian vegetable gold : 

His hand he careless on a pillar lays, 

With shining gold the fluted pillars blaze." 

Ovid (Croxall's tr.). 

The sight of these and many other wonders, wrought by a 
mere touch, filled his heart with joy ; and in his elation he bade 
his servants prepare a sumptuous feast, and invite all his cour- 
tiers to share his merriment. His commands were obeyed with 
the utmost celerity, and Midas beamed with satisfaction as he 
took his place at the head of the board, and viewed the choice 
dishes and wines prepared for his delectation. 

Here, too, however, a new revelation awaited him ; for cloth, 
plate, and cup turned to gold, as did the food and drink as soon 
as they met his eager lips. 

" Whose powerful hands the bread no sooner hold, 
But all its substance is transform 'd to gold : 
Up to his mouth he lifts the savory meat, 
Which turns to gold as he attempts to eat : 
His patron's noble juice of purple hue, 
Touch'd by his lips, a gilded cordial grew, 
Unfit for drink; and, wondrous to behold, 
It trickles from his jaws a fluid gold. 
The rich poor fool, confounded with surprise, 
Starving in all his various plenty lies." 

Ovid (Croxall's tr.). 

In the midst of plenty, the gnawing pangs of hunger now 
made themselves felt ; and the precious gift, which prevented his 
allaying them, soon lost all its attractions. With weary feet, 



BACCHUS. 179 

Midas now retraced the road he had traveled in his pride a few 
hours before, again cast himself at Bacchus' feet, and this time 
implored him to take back the inconvenient gift, which pre- 
vented him from satisfying his natural appetites. 

His distress seemed so real, that Bacchus bade him go and 
wash in the Pactolus River, if he would be rid of the power 
which had so soon turned into a curse. Midas hastened off to 
the river and plunged in its tide, noting that even its sands all 
turned to gold beneath his tread ; since when, 

"Pactolus singeth over golden sands." 

Gray. 

Bacchus' favorite place of resort was the Island of Naxos, 
which he visited after every journey. During one of his sojourns 
there, he discovered a fair maiden lying alone on 
the sandy shore. Ariadne, for such was the girl's 
name, had been forsaken there by her lover, Theseus, who had 
sailed away while she slept' (p. 257). As soon as she awoke, she 
called her faithless lover ; but no answering sound fell upon her 
ear except the mocking tones of Echo. Her tears flowed freely 
as she beat her breast in despair ; but suddenly her lamentations 
ceased, as she caught the faint sound of music floating toward 
her on the summer breeze. Eagerly turning toward the pleasant 
music, she caught sight of a merry procession, headed by the God 
of Wine. 

" ' And as I sat, over the light blue hills 
There came a noise of revelers : the rills 
Into the wide stream came of purple hue — 

'Twas Bacchus and his crew ! 
The earnest trumpet spake, and silver thrills 
From kissing cymbals made a merry din — 

'Twas Bacchus and his kin ! 
Like to a moving vintage down they came, 
Crown'd with green leaves, and faces all on flame; 
All madly dancing through the pleasant valley.' " 

Keats. 




(i8o) 



BACCHUS. I5i 

Bacchus, the first to perceive the fair mourner, hastened to her 
side, and brought all his powers of persuasion into Bacchus and 
play to console her. His devotion at last induced Ariadne, 
her to forget her recreant lover, and, after a short courtship, Bac- 
chus won her as a bride. 

Their wedding was the gayest ever seen, and the feasting 
lasted for several days. The bridegroom presented the bride 
with a crown adorned with seven glittering stars, — an ornament 
which fitly enhanced her peerless beauty. Shortly after her mar- 
riage, however, poor Ariadne sickened and died, leaving a dis- 
consolate widower, who took the crown she had so often worn 
and flung it up into the air. It rose higher and higher, until 
the gods fixed it in the sky, where it still forms a brilliant con- 
stellation, known as Ariadne's Crown, or Corona. 

" And still her sign is seen in heaven, 
And, 'midst the glittering symbols of the sky, 
The starry crown of Ariadne glides." 

Apollonius Rhodius. 

Bacchus' lightheartedness had all vanished, and he no longer 
took any pleasure in music, dance, or revelry, until Jupiter, in pity 
for his bereavement, restored Ariadne to his longing arms, and, 
to prevent her being again claimed by Death, gave her immortal 
life. 

When but a short distance from Thebes, Bacchus once sent a 
herald to Pentheus, the king, to announce his approach, and 
bespeak a suitable reception and sumptuous en- story of 
tertainment. Rumors of the noise and disorder, Pentheus. 
which seemed to have been the invariable accompaniment of the 
god's presence, had already reached Pentheus, who therefore dis- 
missed the herald with an insolent message, purporting that Bac- 
chus had better remain outside of the city gates. 

To avenge this insult, Bacchus inspired the Theban women 
with a species of dementia, which made them rush simultane- 
ously out of the city and join his followers. Then they all clam- 



i»2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

ored for permission to witness the religious rites in his honor, 
generally called Mysteries, which permission was graciously 
granted. 

The king's spies reported all that had occurred; and their 
accounts made Pentheus long to view the ceremonies in secret. 
He therefore disguised himself, and hid in a bush near the con- 
secrated place, hoping to see all without being seen ; but an 
inadvertent movement attracted the attention of the already ex- 
cited Bacchantes, who, led by Agave, the king's own mother, 
dragged him from his hiding place and tore him limb from limb. 

Bacchus, god of wine, was worshiped throughout the ancient 

world, and festivals without number were held in his honor. 

"Worship of The most noted were the Greater and Lesser Di- 

Bacchus. onysia, the Liberalia, and the Bacchanalia, where 
the wildest merrymaking and license were freely indulged in by 
all participants. 

" Bacchus, on thee they call, in hymns divine, 
And hang thy statues on the lofty pine : 
Hence plenty every laughing vineyard fills, 
Thro' the deep valleys and the sloping hills ; 
Where'er the god inclines his lovely face, 
More luscious fruits the rich plantations grace. 
Then let us Bacchus' praises duly sing, 
And consecrated cakes, and chargers bring, 
Dragg'd by their horns let victim goats expire, 
And roast on hazel spits before the sacred fire." 

" Come, sacred sire, with luscious clusters crown'd, 
Here all the riches of thy reign abound ; 
Each field replete with blushing autumn glows, 
And in deep tides for thee the foaming vintage flows." 

Virgil (Warton's tr.). 

Bacchus is generally represented as a handsome youth, crowned 
with ivy or grape leaves and clusters, bearing the thyrsus, an ivy- 
circled wand, as scepter, and riding in a chariot drawn by pan- 
thers or leopards. 






CHAPTER XIV. 



CERES AND PROSERPINA. 



Ceres (Demeter), daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of 
Jupiter's numerous consorts, was goddess of agriculture and civil- 
ization. Her manifold cares were shared by her ceres and 
daughter, Proserpina (Cora, Pherephatta, Perseph- Proserpina, 
one), the goddess of vegetation. Whenever her duties per- 
mitted, this fair young goddess hastened off to the Island of 
Sicily, her favorite place of resort, where she wandered about all 
day long, attended by a merry girlish train, gathering flowers, 
on the green slopes of Mount JEtna, and danced with the 
nymphs in the beautiful plain of Enna. 

One day, weary of labor, Proserpina called these fair play- 
mates to join her and spend a merry day gathering flowers. 

" And one fair morn — 
Not all the ages blot it — on the side 
Of vEtna we were straying. There was then 
Summer nor winter, springtide nor the time 
Of harvest, but the soft unfailing sun 
Shone always, and the sowing time was one 
With reaping." 

Lewis Morris. 

The maidens sang merry lays as they wound their long gar- 
lands ; and their joyous voices and ripples of silvery laughter 
attracted the attention of Pluto, just then driving pi uto kidnaps 
past in his dark chariot drawn by four fiery coal- Proserpina, 
black steeds. To ascertain whence these sounds proceeded, the 

183 



I «4 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

god stepped out of his car, and cautiously peeped through the 
thick foliage. 

He saw Proserpina sitting on a mossy bank, almost buried in 
many-hued blossoms, her laughing companions picturesquely 
grouped around her. One glance sufficed to convince Pluto of 
her loveliness and grace, and to make him feel that his happiness 
depended on the possession of this bright young creature. 

Long ere this, he had tried to persuade one after another of the 
goddesses to share his gloomy throne ; but one and all had refused 
the honor, and declined to accompany him to a land where the sun 
never shone, the birds never sang, and the flowers never bloomed. 
Hurt and disappointed by these rebuffs, Pluto had finally regis- 
tered a solemn vow never to go wooing again ; and so, instead 
of gently inviting Proserpina to become his queen, he resolved 
to kidnap her. 

Straight through the bushes he strode, direct to the spot where 
she was seated. The noise of crackling branches and hasty foot- 
steps made the assembled maidens swiftly turn. One glance 
sufficed to identify the intruder, for none but he could boast of 
such a dark, lowering countenance ; and all exclaimed in mingled 
wonder and terror at his unwonted presence in those sunlit 
regions. 

" 'Tis he, 'tis he : he comes to us 
From the depths of Tartarus. 
For what of evil doth he roam 
From his red and gloomy home, 
In the center of the world, 
Where the sinful dead are hurled? 
Mark him as he moves along, 
Drawn by horses black and strong, 
Such as may belong to Night 
Ere she takes her morning flight. 
Now the chariot stops : the god 
On our grassy world hath trod: 
Like a Titan steppeth he, 
Yet full of his divinity. 




ABDUCTION OF PROSERPINA.— Schobelt. 



(185) 



1 86 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

On his mighty shoulders lie 
Raven locks, and in his eye 
A cruel beauty, such as none 
Of us may wisely look upon." 

Barry Cornwall. 

Frightened by his impetuous approach, the trembling nymphs 
first crowded around Proserpina, who, in her astonishment and 
trepidation, dropped all her pretty flowers and stood motionless 
among them. Her uncertainty as to his purpose was only mo- 
mentary, for, catching her in his brawny arms ere she could make 
an attempt to escape, he bore her off to his chariot, in spite of 
prayers and struggles, and drove away as fast as his fleet steeds 
could carry him. 

He was soon out of hearing of the wild cries and lamentations 
of the nymphs, who vainly pursued him, and tried to overtake their 
beloved mistress. Afraid lest Ceres should come and force him to 
relinquish his new-won treasure, Pluto drove faster and faster, 
nor paused for an instant until he reached the banks of the 
Cyane River, whose waters, at his approach, began to seethe and 
roar in a menacing fashion, and spread themselves as much as 
possible, to check him in his flight. 

Pluto quickly perceived that to attempt to cross the river in 
his chariot would be madness, while by retracing his footsteps 
he ran the risk of meeting Ceres, and being forced to relinquish 
his prize. He therefore decided to have recourse to other means, 
and, seizing his terrible two-pronged fork, struck the earth such a 
mighty blow, that a great crevice opened under his feet, through 
which horses and chariot plunged down into the darkness of the 
Lower World. 

Proserpina turned her weeping eyes to catch a parting glimpse 
of the fair earth she was leaving, and then, with a fond thought 
of her anxious mother, who, when evening came, would vainly 
seek her child in all her favorite haunts, she quickly flung her 
girdle into the Cyane, and called to the water nymph to carry it 
to Ceres. 



CERES AND PROSERPINA. 187 

Elated by the complete success of his bold venture, and no 
longer fearful of immediate pursuit, the happy god strained his 
fair captive to his breast, pressed kisses on her fresh young cheeks, 
and tried to calm her terrors, as the black steeds rushed faster 
and faster along the dark passage, nor paused until they reached 
the foot of their master's throne. 

" Pleased as he grasps her in his iron arms, 
Frights with soft sighs, with tender words alarms." 

Darwin. 

In the mean while the sun had sunk below the Sicilian horizon ; 
and Ceres, returning from the fields of fast-ripening grain to her 
own dwelling, sought for the missing Proserpina, 
of whom no trace could be found except the scat- 
tered flowers. Hither and thither the mother wandered, calling 
her daughter, and wondering where she could be, and why she did 
not come bounding to meet her. As time passed, and still Pro- 
serpina did not appear, Ceres' heart beat fast with apprehension, 
and the tears coursed down her cheeks as she rushed about from 
place to place, calling her daughter. 

" What ails her that she comes not home ? 
Demeter seeks her far and wide, 
And gloomy-browed doth ceaseless roam 

From many a morn till eventide. 
* My life, immortal though it be, 
Is naught ! ' she cries, ' for want of thee, 
Persephone — Persephone ! ' " 

Ingelow. 

Night came, and Ceres, kindling a torch at the volcanic fires of 
Mount vEtna, continued her search. Day dawned, and still the 
mother called, awakening the morning echoes with her longing 
cries for her child. Her daily duties were all neglected. The 
rain no longer refreshed the drooping flowers, the grain was 
parched by the ardent rays of the sun, and the grass all perished, 
while Ceres, roamed over hill and dale in search of Proserpina. 



1 88 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Weary at last of her hopeless quest, the goddess seated herself 
by the wayside, near the city of Eleusis, and gave way to her 
overwhelming grief. 

"Long was thine anxious search 
For lovely Proserpine, nor didst thou break 
Thy mournful fast, till the far-fam'd Eleusis 
Received thee wandering." 

Orphic Hymn. 

To avoid recognition, she had assumed the appearance of an 
aged crone; and as she sat there by the wayside, in tears, she 

Ceres and attracted the compassionate inquiries of the daugh- 
Triptoiemus. ters Q f Celeus, king of the country. Having heard 
her bewail the loss of her child, they entreated her to come to 
the palace, and, knowing nothing could so well soothe a break- 
ing heart, offered her the charge of their infant brother Triptolemus. 

Ceres, touched by their ready sympathy, accepted the offer; 
and when she arrived at the palace, the royal heir was intrusted 
to her care. Tenderly the goddess kissed the puny child's little 
pinched face ; and at her touch the child became rosy and well, 
to the unbounded astonishment of the royal family and all the 
court. 

In the night, while Ceres sat alone with her charge, it occurred 
to her that she might confer a still greater blessing upon him, 
that of immortality : so she anointed his limbs with nectar, mur- 
mured a powerful charm, and placed him upon the red-hot coals, 
to consume all the perishable elements left in his body. 

The queen, Metaneira, who had thought it somewhat impru- 
dent to leave the child thus alone with a stranger, now stole 
noiselessly into the apartment, and with a wild shriek rushed to 
the fire and snatched her child out of the flames, pressed him 
anxiously to her breast, and, after ascertaining that he was quite 
unharmed, turned to vent her indignation upon the careless 
nurse ; but the aged beggar woman had vanished, and in her 
stead she confronted the radiant Goddess of Agriculture. 




CERES. 
(Vatican, Rome.) 



(189) 



190 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" From her fragrant robes 
A lovely scent was scattered, and afar 
Shone light emitted from her skin divine, 
And yellow locks upon her shoulders waved ; 
White as from lightning, all the house was filled 
With splendor." 

Homeric Hymn. 

With a gentle reproof to the queen for her untimely interference, 
Ceres explained what she fain would have done, and vanished, 
to continue her wanderings in other lands. She finally returned 
to Italy ; and, while wandering along the river banks one day, 
the waters suddenly cast a glittering object at her feet. Stooping 
hastily to ascertain what it might be, she recognized the girdle 
her daughter had worn when she had parted from her in Sicily. 

Joyfully she embraced the token, and, thinking she must now 
be upon Proserpina's track, hastened on until she came to a crys- 
tal fountain, by whose side she sat down to rest. Her eyes 
were heavy with the combined effect of tears, fatigue, and op- 
pressive heat, and she was about to lose all consciousness of her 
trouble in sleep, when the murmur of the fountain increased, until 
she fancied it was talking ; not as mortals do, but in its own sil- 
very accents. 

The goddess was not mistaken ; for a few minutes later she could 

distinguish words, and heard the fountain entreat her to listen, 

Arethusa and if she would hear what had befallen her child. 

Aipheus. The fountain then went on to tell how she had not 
always been a mere stream, but was once a nymph, called Are- 
thusa, in Diana's train, and how, overcome by the heat, she had 
once sought a cool stream wherein she might bathe her heated 
limbs. 

She soon found one, the Aipheus River, and selected a spot 
where the trees hung over the limpid waters, where the sand on 
the bottom was fine and even, and where no mortal eyes could 
see her as she threw aside her sandals and outer garments. She 
was enjoying the refreshing sensation of the water rippling 




A NYMPH.— Kray. 



(191) 



1 9 2 CLA SSICAL MYTHS. 

around her hot limbs, and was reveling in the complete solitude, 
when suddenly the river, until now as smooth as a mirror, was 
ruffled by waves, which crept nearer and nearer to the startled 
nymph, until in affright she sprang out of the water. 

Then a voice — the voice of the river god Alpheus — was heard, 
calling to her in pleading accents to stay her flight and lend 
an ear to his wooing ; but when the impetuous god, instead of 
waiting for an answer to his suit, rose up out of the water and 
rushed to clasp her in his arms, she turned and fled in great 
terror. She fled, but he pursued. Over hill and dale, through 
forest and field, Arethusa ran, still closely followed by her too 
ardent lover, until, exhausted, she paused for breath, crying aloud 
to Diana to come to her rescue. 

Her prayer was answered. A moment later she was enveloped 
in a thick mist and transformed into a fountain. Alpheus could 
no longer see her, but wandered about, bewailing her disappear- 
ance, and calling her in passionate accents. 

" ' O Arethusa, peerless nymph ! why fear 
Such tenderness as mine? Great Dian, why, 
Why didst thou hear her prayer ? Oh that I 
Were rippling round her dainty fairness now, 
Circling about her waist, and striving how 
To entice her to a dive ! then stealing in 
Between her luscious lips and eyelids thin.' " 

Keats. 

The misty cloud in which Arethusa had been enveloped by 
Diana's protecting care was soon blown away by a mischievous 
breath from Zephyrus ; and Alpheus, who was still hovering 
near there, suddenly beholding a fountain where none had ever 
existed before, surmised what had happened. Changing him- 
self into an impetuous torrent, he rushed to join his beloved, who 
sprang out of her mossy bed, and hurried on over sticks and 
stones, until Diana, seeing her new plight, opened a crevice, 
through which she glided away from the bright sunlight she 
loved so well into the depths of Pluto's realm. 



CERES AND PROSERPINA. 193 

While gliding there in the gloom, Arethusa had caught a 
glimpse of Proserpina on her sable throne, beside the stern-browed 
Pluto. She could not, however, pause to inquire how she came 
there, but hurried on breathlessly, until another crevice offered 
her the means of returning to the upper world, and seeing once 
more the blue sky and sun on the Sicilian plains. 

The monotonous murmur of the fountain now subsided again 
into its usual undertone ; and Ceres, knowing where to seek her 
daughter, was about to depart, when she heard the sudden rush 
and roar of a large body of water. She immediately turned, and 
beheld the torrent Alpheus, who, after a disconsolate search under- 
ground for the lost Arethusa, had found a crevice, through which 
he passed to join his beloved on the Sicilian plains. 

" Alpheus, Elis' stream, they say, 
Beneath the seas here found his way, 
And now his waters interfuse 
With thine, O fountain Arethuse, 
Beneath Sicilian skies." 

Virgil (Coningtcn's tr.). 

In spite of her previous efforts to escape him, Arethusa must 
still have been very glad to see him once more, for Ceres heard 
her murmur contentedly as she sank into his arms and listened 
to his louder tones of rapturous love. 

Maidens in Greece were wont to throw fresh garlands into the 
Alpheus River; and it was said the selfsame flowers, carried 
away by his current, soon reappeared in the Sicilian fountain, 
carried there as love offerings by the enamored river. 

" O my beloved, how divinely sweet 
Is the pure joy when kindred spirits meet ! 
Like him, the river god, whose waters flow, 
With love their only light, through caves below, 
Wafting in triumph all the flowery braids 
And festal rings, with which Olympic maids 
Have decked his current, an offering meet 
To lay at Arethusa's shining feet. 



194 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Think when at last he meets his fountain bride 
What perfect love must thrill the blended tide ! 
And lost in each, till mingling into one, 
Their lot the same for shadow or for sun, 
A type of true love, to the deep they run." 

Moore. 

Now, although poor Ceres had ascertained where to find her 

missing daughter, her grief was not at all diminished, for she felt 

Ceres' convinced that Pluto would never willingly relin- 

mouming. q U i sn her. She therefore withdrew into a dark 
cave to mourn unseen, and still further neglected her wonted 
duties. 

Famine threatened to visit the people, and they prayed and clam- 
ored for her aid ; but, absorbed in grief, she paid no heed to their 
distress, and vowed that nothing on earth should grow, with her 
permission, as long as her daughter was detained in Hades. In 
despair at this frightful state of affairs, the people then besought* 
Jupiter to pity the sufferings they endured, and to allow Proser- 
pina to revisit the upper world once more. 

" Arise, and set the maiden free ; 
Why should the world such sorrow dree 
By reason of Persephone ? " 

Ingelow. 
I 

As soon as she became aware of this petition, Ceres hastened 
to Olympus, to join her supplications to the cries which rose from 
all parts of the earth ; until Jupiter, wearied by these importunities, 
consented to Proserpina's return, upon condition, however, that 
.she. had not touched any food during the whole time of her 
sojourn in the Infernal Regions. 

" Last, Zeus himself, 
Pitying the evil that was done, sent forth 
His messenger beyond the western rim 
To fetch me back to earth." 

Lewis Morris. 



CERES AND PROSERPINA. 195 

Ceres in person hastened to her daughter's new abode, and was 
about to lead her away in spite of Pluto, when a spirit, Ascalaphus, 
suddenly declared that the queen had partaken of The pomegran- 
some pomegranate seeds that very day. Proser- ate seeds, 
pina could not refute the charge, and Jupiter decreed that for 
every seed she had eaten she should spend one month of every 
year in her husband's gloomy kingdom. 

Thus it came about that Proserpina was condemned to spend 
one half the year in Hades, and could linger on the bright earth 
only for six months at a time. 

Mercury was chosen to lead her to and from Hades ; and, 
whenever he brought her out of her gloomy prison, the skies be- 
came blue and sunny, the grass sprang fresh and green beneath 
her elastic tread, the flowers bloomed along her way, the birds 
trilled forth their merry lays, and all was joy and brightness. 

" And when, in springtime, with sweet-smelling flowers 

Of various kinds the earth doth bloom, thou'lt come 

From gloomy darkness back — a mighty joy 

To gods and mortal men." 

Homeric Hymn. 

Ceres, happy once more in the possession of her beloved 
daughter, cheerfully and diligently attended to all her duties, and 
blessed the earth with plenty ; but when the six Proserpina's 
months were over, and the skies wept and all return, 

nature mourned Proserpina's departure, she again returned to 
her cave, whence no entreaties could draw her. 

As for the merry, happy-natured Proserpina, the moment 
Hades' portals closed behind her, she became pale and melan- 
choly ; and none would have dreamed the playful, flower-crowned 
Goddess of Vegetation was identical with the sad-faced, sable- 
vested Queen of Hades (now called Hecate), who held a pome- 
granate in one hand, and a torch in the other. Proserpina, like 
Adonis, was the personification of vegetation, visibly prosperous 
during the six favorable months of the year, and lurking hidden 
under the cold ground during the remainder of the time. 



196 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Many beautiful temples were dedicated to Ceres and Proser- 
Worship of P ma m Greece and Italy, where yearly festivals, 
Ceres. fine Thesmophoria and the Cerealia, were cele- 
brated with great pomp. 

" To Ceres chief her annual rites be paid, 
On the green turf, beneath a fragrant shade, 
When winter ends, and spring serenely shines, 
Then fat the lambs, then mellow are the wines, 
Then sweet are slumbers on the flowery ground, 
Then with thick shades are lofty mountains crown'd. 
Let all the hinds bend low at Ceres' shrine ; 
Mix honey sweet, for her, with milk and mellow wine; 
Thrice lead the victim the new fruits around, 
And Ceres call, and choral hymns resound : 
Presume not, swains, the ripen'd grain to reap, 
Till crown'd with oak in antic dance ye leap, 
Invoking Ceres, and in solemn lays, 
Exalt your rural queen's immortal praise." 

Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.). 

To commemorate her long search for her daughter, Ceres re- 
turned to Eleusis, taught her former nursling, Triptolemus, the 
various secrets of agriculture, and gave him her chariot, bidding 
him travel everywhere, and teach the people how to plow, sow, 
and reap ; and then she instituted the Eleusinia, festivals held in 
honor of her daughter and herself at Eleusis. 

Triptolemus did not fail to carry out the goddess's instructions, 
and journeyed far and wide, until he finally reached the court of 
Lyncus, King of Scythia, where the false monarch would have 
treacherously slain him had not Ceres by timely interference pre- 
vented the execution of his base purpose by changing the trai- 
tor into a lynx, the emblem of perfidy. 

Ceres was generally represented as a fair, matronly woman, clad 
in flowing draperies, sometimes crowned with wheat ears, and 
bearing a sheaf of grain and a sickle, or with a plow and a 
horn of plenty disgorging its wealth of fruit and flowers at her 
feet. Groves were frequently dedicated to her ; and any mortal 



CERES AND PROSERPINA. 197 

rash enough to lay the ax on one of these sacred trees was sure 
to incur the goddess's wrath, as is proved by the story of Eri- 
sichthon. 

This man was evidently a freethinker, and, to show his con- 
tempt for the superstitious veneration paid to Ceres' trees, took 
his ax and cut down one of her sacred oaks. At Story of 
his first blow, blood began to flow from the tree ; Erisichthon. 
but, undeterred by the phenomenon or the entreaties of the by- 
standers, Erisichthon continued. Finally, annoyed by the impor- 
tunities of the spectators, he turned and slew one or two, and then 
completed his sacrilege. 

Ceres, incensed by his insolence and cruelty, devised a terrible 
chastisement for the unfortunate man, and sent Famine to gnaw 
his vitals, and torment him night and day. The wretch, tortured 
by a hunger which no amount of food could allay, disposed of 
all his property to obtain the means of procuring nourishment ; 
but his monstrous appetite continued, and, as he had but one 
daughter left, he sold her as a slave to obtain food. 

The girl's master left her alone for a moment upon the sea- 
shore, and, in answer to her prayer, Neptune delivered her from 
servitude by changing her into a fisherman. When the master 
returned and found his slave gone, he questioned the fisherman, 
and, not obtaining any satisfactory information, departed. Nep- 
tune then restored the maiden to her own form, and let her re- 
turn home ; but, as her father sold her again, the god was obliged 
to interfere once more in her behalf, until at last Erisichthon, 
deprived of means to procure food, devoured himself. 

Another anecdote illustrating Ceres' power is told about a lad, 
Stellio, who made fun of the goddess when she was journeying, 
on account of the haste with which she disposed ceres and 
of a bowl of gruel offered by some charitable steiho. 
person. To punish the boy for his rudeness, Ceres flung the 
remainder of her gruel into his face, and changed him into a 
lizard. 



13 



CHAPTER XV. 



VESTA. 



Vesta, or Hestia, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, goddess of 
fire and of the family hearth, and guardian angel of mankind, was 

Worship of worshiped principally throughout Italy, although 
vesta. ghg a ] so had shrines in Greece and Asia Minor. 

The family hearth in ancient times possessed a far different 
signification from what it does now, and was considered the 
family altar, for there the father of the family was wont to offer 
up his daily prayers and sacrifices. " As, according to the old 
heathen custom, all men were regarded as enemies unless by a 
special compact they had been made friends, so Vesta presided 
especially over true and faithful dealing ; " and she was therefore 
generally represented as pure and undefiled. 

A beautiful circular temple in Rome was dedicated to Vesta's 
service ; and here the Palladium of Troy was supposed to be pre- 
served, together with the goddess's sacred fire, originally kindled 
by the rays of the sun. 

This fire — an emblem of the flame of life, which the ancients 
fancied was kept burning within each human breast by Vesta, 
the life : giver — was kept constantly burning, and never allowed 
to go out for want of fuel or timely care. Its flames were also 
intended to represent the purity of the goddess, who, although 
wooed by many lovers, — among whom Apollo and Neptune can 
justly claim the precedence, — remained always a virgin. 

The Romans fancied that her worship had been introduced in 
Italy by ^Eneas, their famous ancestor, who brought thither his 





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(199) 



200 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

home gods, and who, according to tradition, selected the first 
Vestal Virgins. 

The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, built a beautiful 
temple, and instituted various religious ceremonies, in honor of 
Vestal Vesta. The loveliest and noblest among the Ro- 

virgms. man maidens were chosen to serve this goddess, 
and were known as Vestals, or Vestal Virgins. Admitted into 
the temple at the early age of six, they w r ere compelled to 
serve ten years in fitting themselves to fulfill the duties they 
would be called upon to perform during the next decade as. 
priestesses and guardians of the sacred fire. The last ten years 
were spent in instructing the novices ; and, when their thirty- 
years' service was ended, they were at liberty either to continue in 
the temple, where they were treated with the greatest respect, 
or to leave it, and even marry, if such were their pleasure. 

During their time of servitude, they were expected to keep their 
vows of chastity and fidelity to their patroness, and to maintain 
her sacred fire, under penalty of being buried alive in a vaulted 
chamber, fashioned for this express purpose by Numa Pompilius's 
order. In turn, each of the priestesses watched the fire, renewed 
the fuel, and fanned the flame, nor lost sight of it night or day ; 
for the Romans considered the extinction of this sacred flame 
the precursor of some great public calamity. 

The Vestals were, however, so pure and vigilant, that during 
one thousand years only eighteen failed to keep their vows 
satisfactorily, and suffered punishment. The Vestal Tuccia was 
accused of breach of faith, but, as proof of her purity, was 
given power to carry water in a sieve from the Tiber to the 
temple. 

In return for the signal services the Vestals rendered to the 
state by maintaining this sacred fire, they enjoyed many privileges : 
among others, that of being preceded by a lictor with fasces when 
they walked abroad ; of occupying the seats of honor in public 
ceremonies and festivities ; of being buried within the city lim- 
its (a privilege granted to but very few) ; and of obtaining the 



_, 




THE VESTAL TUCCIA.— Le Roux. (soi) 



202 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

pardon of criminals whom they met by accident on their way 
to the place of execution. Loved and greatly honored by all, 
the Vestals have become types of all things pure and lovely in 
woman. - t 

" By these her trembling fires, 
Like Vesta's, ever burning ; and, like hers, 
Sacred to thoughts immaculate and pure." 

Young. 

The Vestal Virgins were further distinguished by a vesture of 
pure white linen, with a purple border and a wide purple mantle. 
In time of war or danger they were answerable for the preserva- 
tion of the sacred fire, which they were allowed to remove to any 
place of safety ; and on several occasions they therefore carried 
it out of Rome and down the Tiber, lest it should fall into the 
enemy's hands. 

The Vestals continued their office until the reign of Theodo- 
sius the Great, who, being converted to Christianity A.D. 380, 
abolished the worship of Vesta, dispersed the Vestals, and extin- 
guished the sacred fire. 

Vesta's services were held with great pomp ; and her festi- 
vals, the Vestalia, were among the most beautiful and popular in 
Rome. Statues of this goddess — generally repre- 

Festivals. . r 7 . , , n . . 

senting a woman of majestic beauty, clad in long 
robes, holding a lighted torch or lamp in one hand and a votive 
bowl in the other — were carried through the main streets of the 
city on all solemn occasions. 

In public processions the Vestals had the privilege of carrying 
their sacred fire ; while the Roman matrons, glad to swell their 
ranks, followed them, barefooted, chanting the praises of the 
good goddess Vesta. 

' ' And from the temple brings 
Dread Vesta, with her holy things, 
Her awful fillets, and the fire 
Whose sacred embers ne'er expire." 

Virgil ((^onington's tr.). 



VESTA. 203 

On these occasions great banquets were prepared before each 
house, all daily toil was suspended, the millstones were decked 
with flowers, and the very asses wont to turn them were covered 
with garlands and led in the processions. 

Among the Romans, Vesta was not the only goddess invoked 
on the family hearth, for she shared that place of honor with the 
Lares, Manes, and Penates, who all enjoyed special veneration 
and sacrifices. 

The Lares, quite unknown to the Greeks, were two in num- 
ber, the children of Mercury and Lara, a naiad famous for her 
beauty as well as for her extreme loquacity, which Lares, Manes, 
no one could check. Tradition relates that this and Penates - 
fair maiden talked from morning till night, and told all she knew. 
Upon one occasion she incurred Jupiter's wrath by relating to 
Juno a conversation she had overheard between him and one of 
his numerous ladyloves. 

To punish her, and at the same time prevent further tale-bear- 
ing, the king of the gods cut off Lara's tongue, and, summoning 
Mercury, bade him lead her down to Hades to linger there 
forever. But on the way to the dismal abode of the dead, the 
messenger god fell in love with his fair charge, who, being now 
effectually cured of her sole fault, was irresistibly charming; 
and, instead of obeying Jupiter, he made love to her, and by 
pantomime obtained her consent to their union. She bore him 
two children, who from her were called Lares, and to whom 
the Romans always paid divine honors, reserving special places 
for them on the family hearth, for they were supposed to preside 
over houses and families. Their statues resembled monkeys 
covered with the skins of dogs; while at their feet a barking 
dog, the symbol of their care and vigilance, was always repre- 
sented. 

The Manes — a name generally applied to souls when sepa- 
rated from the body — were also reckoned among the Roman 
divinities, and the illustrious ancestors of different families were 
often worshiped under this name. 



204 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

As for the Penates, they presided over the houses and domes- 
tic affairs. Each head of a household was wont to choose his 
own Penates, whom he then invoked as his special patrons. The 
statues of the Penates were of clay, wax, ivory, silver, or gold, 
according to the wealth of the family whose hearth they graced, 
and the offerings generally made to them were a small part of 
each meal. 

Upon removing from one house to another or from one place 
to another, it was customary for the head of the family to re- 
move his household gods also, and establish them suitably before 
he thought of his own or his family's comfort, and in return for 
this kindly care the Penates blessed him with peace and pros- 
perity. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

JANUS. 

Janus, god of the past, present, and future, of gates, entrances, 
war, and peace, and patron of all beginnings, although one of 
the most important of all the Roman divinities, was entirely un- 
known to the Greeks. 

According to some mythologists, he was the son of Apollo ; 
and, although born in Thessaly, he early in life came to Italy, 
where he founded a city on the Tiber, to which he gave the name 
Janiculum. Here he was joined by the exiled Saturn, with 
whom he generously shared his throne. Together they civilized 
the wild inhabitants of Italy, and blessed them with such pros- 
perity that their reign has often been called the Age of Gold. 

" Saturn fled before victorious Jove, 
Driven down and banish'd from the realms above. 
He, by just laws, embodied all the train, 
Who roam'd the hills, and drew them to the plain; 
There fixed, and Latium called the new abode, 
Whose friendly shores concealed the latent god. 
These realms, in peace, the monarch long controlled, 
And blessed the nations with an age of gold." 

Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.). 

Janus is generally represented with two faces, turned in oppo- 
site directions, because he was acquainted with janus' 
the past and future as well as with the present, two faces, 
and because he is considered an emblem of the sun, which 
opens the day at its rising, and closes the day at its setting. 

205 



2o6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

In some statues he is represented with one white-haired and 
bearded face, and the other quite youthful in appearance, while 
others represent him with three and even four heads. 

"Janus am I; oldest of potentates ; 

Forward I look, and backward, and below 
I count, as god of avenues and gates, 

The years that through my portals come and go. 

I block the roads and drift the fields with snow; 

I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen ; 
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow ; 

My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men." 

Longfellow. 

The commencement of every new year, month, and day was 
held sacred to Janus, and at that time special sacrifices and 
prayers were offered up at his shrines. He also presided over 
all gates and avenues, and through him alone prayers were sup- 
posed to reach the immortal gods : therefore in all religious 
ceremonies his name was always the first invoked. From this 
circumstance he often appears with a key in his right hand, and a 
rod in his left ; or, when he presides over the year, he holds the 
number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other. 

He was also supposed to watch over peace and war, and had 
numerous temples throughout all Italy. One very celebrated 

"Worship of temple was called Janus Quadrifons, because it 
janus. was perfectly square. On each side of the build- 

ing there was one door and three windows. These apertures 
were all symbolical, — the doors of the four seasons, and the 
windows of the twelve months, of the year. 

In times of war the temple gates were opened wide, for the 
people, being in need of aid and comfort, were all anxious to 
enter and present their offerings ; but when peace reigned, the 
doors were immediately closed, for the god's intercession was no 
longer necessary. The Romans, however, were such a belligerent 
people, that the temple gates were closed but thrice in more than 
seven centuries, and then only for a very short period. 



JANUS. 207 

Festivals in honor of Janus were celebrated on the first day 
of the new year; and one month bore the god's name, and 
was considered sacred to him. It was customary for friends and 
relatives to exchange calls, good wishes, and gifts on the first 
day of this month, — a Roman custom in force to this day. 

Janus is not the only one among the Greek and Latin divini- 
ties whose name has been given to a part of the year or week ; 
for in Latin the names of the days are dies Solis Ancient divis- 
(Sun day), dies Luna (Moon day), dies Martis i°nsoftime. 
(Mars' day), dies Mercurii (Mercury's day), dies Jovis (Jove's day), 
dies Veneris (Venus' day), dies Saturni (Saturn's day) ; Latin names 
which are still in use in legislative and judiciary acts, while in 
English the common nomenclature is derived from the names of 
the corresponding Saxon divinities. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

SOMNUS AND MORS. 

After leaving the joyless regions of Pluto's realm, and fol- 
lowing the even course of the Lethe River, the ancients fancied 
one reached a large cave in a remote and quiet 

Cave of sleep. 

valley. This cave was the dwelling of Somnus (or 
Hupnos), god of sleep, and of his twin brother Mors (or Thanatos), 
god of death ; and both were sons of the Goddess of Night, who 
had once ruled the whole universe. Near the entrance of the 
cave, shadowy forms kept constant watch, gently shaking great 
bunches of poppies, and, with finger to lips, enjoining silence on 
all who ventured near. These forms were the genii of sleep and 
death, represented in art as crowned with poppies or amaranths, 
and sometimes holding a funeral urn or a reversed torch. 

The cave was divided into chambers, each one darker and 
more silent than the one which preceded it. In one of the inner 
Somnus and rooms, which was all draped with sable curtains, 
Morpheus. stood a downy couch, upon which reclined the 
monarch of sleep. His garments were also black, but all strewn 
with golden stars. He wore a crown of poppies on his head, and 
held a goblet full of poppy juice in his languid hand. His 
drowsy head was supported by Morpheus, his prime minister, who 
watched incessantly over his prolonged slumbers, and hindered 
any one from troubling his repose. 

" Deep in a cavern dwells the drowsy god : 
Whose gloomy mansion nor the rising sun, 
Nor setting, visits, nor the lightsome noon r 
208 




GENIUS OF DEATH.— Canova. 
(Tomb of Clement XIII., St. Peter's, Rome.) 



(209) 



210 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

But lazy vapors round the region fly, 
Perpetual twilight, and a doubtful sky ; 
No crowing cock does there his wings display, 
Nor with his horny bill provoke the day: 
Nor watchful dogs, nor the more wakeful geese, 
Disturb with nightly noise the sacred peace : 
Nor beast of nature, nor the tame, are nigh, 
Nor trees with tempest rock'd, nor human cry; 
But safe repose,' without an air of breath, 
Dwells here, and a dumb quiet next to death. 

An arm of Lethe, with a gentle flow, 
Arising upwards from the rock below, 
The palace moats, and o'er the pebbles creeps, 
And with soft murmurs calls the coming sleeps; 
Around its entry nodding poppies grow, 
And all cool simples that sweet rest bestow; 
Night from the plants their sleepy virtue drains, 
And passing, sheds it on the silent plains : 
No door there was the unguarded house to keep, 
On creaking hinges turn'd to break his sleep. 

But in the gloomy court was rais'd a bed, 
Stuff'd with black plumes, and on an ebon sted : 
Black was the covering too, where lay the god, 
And slept supine, his limbs display'd abroad. 
About his head fantastic visions fly, 
Which various images of things supply, 
And mock their forms ; the leaves on trees not more, 
Nor bearded ears in fields, nor sands upon the shore." 

Ovid (Dryden's tr.). 

All around the bed and over it hovered throngs of exquisite 

spirits, the Dreams, who stooped to whisper their pleasant mes- 

Dreams and sages in his ear ; while in the distant corners of 

Nightmares. t ^ e a p ar tment lurked the hideous Nightmares. 

The Dreams were often dispatched to earth under Mercury's 

charge, to visit mortals. 

Two gates led out of the valley of sleep, — one of ivory, and 
the other of horn. The Dreams which passed through the glit- 
tering gates of ivory were delusive, while those which passed 



SOMNUS AND MORS. 211 

through the homely gate of horn were destined to come true in 
the course of time. 

"Of dreams, O stranger, some are meaningless 
And idle, and can never be fulfilled. 
Two portals are there for their shadowy shapes, 
Of ivory one, and one of horn. The dreams 
That come through the carved ivory deceive 
With promises that never are made good ; 
But those which pass the doors of polished horn, 
And are beheld of men, are ever true." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Dreams were also frequently sent through the gates of horn 
to prepare mortals for misfortunes, as in the case of Halcyone. 

Ceyx, King of Thessaly, was once forced to part from his be- 
loved wife, Halcyone, to travel off to Delphi to consult the oracle. 
With many tears this loving couple parted, and story of Ceyx 
Halcyone watched the lessening sail until it had and Halcyone. 
quite vanished from sight ; then she returned to her palace to 
pray for her husband's safe return. But, alas! the gods had 
decreed they should never meet again on earth ; and, even while 
Halcyone prayed, a tempest arose which wrecked Ceyx's vessel, 
and caused him and all his crew to perish in the seething waves. 

Day after day the queen hastened down to the seashore, fol- 
lowed by her attendants, to watch for the returning sails of her 
husband's vessel ; and night after night she lay on her couch, 
anxiously expecting the morrow, which she ever fancied would 
prove auspicious. The gods, seeing her anxiety, and wishing to 
prepare her to receive the news of his death, and especially to 
view with some composure his corpse, which they had decided 
should be washed ashore, sent a Dream to visit her. 

After assuming the face and form of Ceyx, the Dream glided 
away through the gate of horn, hastened to Halcyone's bedside, 
and whispered that her husband was dead, and that his body was 
even now being cast up on the smooth, sandy beach by the salt 
sea waves. With a wild cry of terror and grief, Halcyone awoke, 



212 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

and hastened to the seashore to convince herself that the dream 
had been false ; but she had no sooner reached the beach, than 
the waves washed her husband's corpse to her feet. 

To endure life without him seemed too great a task for poor 
Halcyone, who immediately cast herself into the sea, to perish 
beside him. Touched by grief so real and intense, tKe gods 
changed both bodies into birds, since known as Halcyon birds, 
and decreed they should ever live on the waters. These birds 
were said to build their nests and hatch their young on the heav- 
ing billows, and to utter shrill cries of warning to the seamen 
whenever a storm threatened, bidding them prepare for the blast, 
and hasten to shelter in port, if they would not encounter the 
mournful fate of poor Ceyx. 

Mors, god of death, occupied one of the corners of Somnus' 
cave. He was a hideous, cadaverous-looking deity, clad in a 
winding sheet, and held an hourglass and a scythe 
in his hand. His hollow eyes were fixed upon 
the sands of time ; and when they had run out, he knew some 
life was about to end, and sallied forth, scythe in hand, to mow 
down his prey with relentless joy. 

Needless to say, this cruel deity was viewed by the ancients 
with fear and dislike, and no homage was offered him. 

These two divinities were, however, but of slight importance 
in the general scheme of ancient mythology, in which Proserpina 
was generally regarded as the emblem of death, and they were 
therefore more like local divinities. The Lacedaemonians paid 
the most heed to them, and invariably placed their statues side 
by side. 

As for Morpheus, the son as well as the prime minister of 
Somnus, he was also called the god of sleep, and mortals were 

wont to intercede for his good offices. He is gen- 
Morpheus. . . .. 

erally represented as a sleeping child of great cor- 
pulence, and with wings. Morpheus held a vase in one hand, 
and poppies in the other, which he gently shook to induce a 
state of drowsiness, — according to him, the acme of bliss. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



^OLUS. 



Not very far away from the quiet realm of Somnus and Mors, 
but on the surface of the earth, were the ^Eolian Islands, now 
known as the Lipari Islands, where iEolus, god of the storm and 
winds, governed a very unruly and turbulent population. 

He is said to have received his royal dignity from the fair 
hands of Juno, and he was therefore specially eager to obey all 
her behests. He is commonly reputed to have ^Eoius' 
married Aurora, or Eos, who gave him six sons ■ children, 
i.e., Boreas, the north wind ; Corus, the northwest wind ; Aquilo, 
the west wind; Notus, the southwest wind; Eurus, the east 
wind ; and lastly, Zephyrus, the gentle and lovable south wind, 
whose mission it was to announce to mortals the return of ever- 
welcome spring. 

tEoIus' five elder sons were of a noisy, roving, mischievous, 
turbulent disposition, and peace and quiet were utterly impossible 
to them. To prevent their causing serious disasters, he therefore 
ruled them with a very strict hand, kept them very closely con- 
fined in a great cave, and let them loose only one at a time, to 
stretch their limbs and take a little exercise. 

" yEolus in a cavern vast 
With bolt and barrier fetters fast 
Rebellious storm and howling blast. 
They with the rock's reverberant roar 
Chafe blustering round their prison door : 
He, throned on high, the scepter sways, 
Controls their moods, their wrath allays." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 
14 213 



214 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Although very unruly indeed, the winds always obeyed their 
father's voice, and at his command, however reluctant, returned 
to their gloomy prison, where they expended their impotent rage 
in trying to shake its strong walls. 

According to his own mood, or in conformity with the gods' 
request, ^Eolus either sent the gentler winds to play among the 
flowers, or, recalling them, let the fiercest of all his children free, 
with orders to pile up the waves mountain-high, lash them to 
foam, tear the sails of all the vessels at sea, break- their masts, 
uproot the trees, tear the roofs off the houses, etc., — in short, to 
do all the harm they possibly could. 

" Now rising all at once, and unconfin'd, 
From every quarter roars the rushing wind: 
First, from the wide Atlantic Ocean's bed, 
Tempestuous Corus rears his dreadful head, 
Th' obedient deep his potent breath controls, 
And, mountain-high, the foamy flood he rolls; 
Him the Northeast encountering fierce, defied, 
And back rebuffeted the yielding tide. 
The curling surges loud conflicting meet, 
Dash their proud heads, and bellow as they beat; 
While piercing Boreas, from the Scythian strand, 
Plows up the waves and scoops the lowest sand. 
Nor Eurus then, I ween, was left to dwell, 
Nor showery Notus in th' ^Eolian cell, 
But each from every side, his power to boast, 
Ranged his proud forces to defend the coast." 



^Eolus, king of the winds, shared with Daedalus the honor of 
inventing the sails which propel the ships so swiftly over the tide. 
It was he, too, who, according to Homer, bound all his children 
but one in a leather bag, which he gave to Ulysses when the lat- 
ter visited ^Eolia. Thanks to this gift, Ulysses reached the shores 
of Ithaca, and would have landed in safety, had not his men, in 
view of port, untied the sack to investigate its contents, and thus 



^.OLUS. 215 

set free the angry winds, who stirred up the most frightful tem- 
pest in mythic annals. 

The ancients, and especially the Athenians, paid particular at- 
tention to the winds, to whom they dedicated a temple, which is 
still extant, and generally known as the Tower of Temple of 
the Winds, or the Temple of tEoIus. This temple ^oius. 
is hexagonal, and on each side a flying figure of one of the 
winds is represented. 

Eurus, the east wind, was generally depicted " as a young man 
flying with great impetuosity, and often appearing in a play- 
ful and wanton humor." Notus, or Auster, the southwest wind, 
" appeared generally as an old man, with gray hair, a gloomy 
countenance, a head covered with clouds, a sable vesture, and 
dusky wings," for he was considered the dispenser of rain and 
of all sudden and heavy showers. Zephyrus, mild and gentle, 
had a lapful of flowers, and, according to the Athenian belief, 
was wedded to Flora, with whom he was perfectly happy, and 
visited every land in turn. Corus, the northwest wind, drove 
clouds of snow before him ; while Aquilo, dreadful in appearance, 
caused cold shivers to run down one's back at his mere sight. 
Boreas, rough and shivering too, was the father of rain, snow, 
hail; and tempests, and was therefore generally represented as 
veiled in impenetrable clouds. His favorite place of abode was 
in the. Hyperborean Mountains, from whence he sallied forth 
on wild raids. During one of these excursions he carried off 
Orithyia, who always fled at his approach. But all her fleetness 
could not save her : she was overtaken, and borne away to the 
inaccessible regions of snow and ice, where he detained her, and 
made her his wife. She became the mother of Zetes and Calais, — 
who took part in the Argonautic expedition, and drove away the 
Harpies (p. 267), — and of two daughters, Cleopatra and Chione. 

On another occasion, Boreas, having changed himself into a 
horse and united himself to the mares of Dardanus, King of Troy, 
became the father of twelve steeds so swift that none could 
overtake them. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

HERCULES. 

" Unto this thy son it shall be given, 
With his broad heart to win his way to heaven ; 
Twelve labors shall he work ; and all accurst 
And brutal things o'erthrow, brute men the worst ; 
And in Trachinia shall the funeral pyre 
Purge his mortalities away with fire ; 
And he shall mount amid the stars, and be 
Acknowledg'd kin to those who envied thee, 
And sent these den-born shapes to crush his destiny." 

Theocritus (Hunt's tr.). 

The ancients were not content to worship the gods only, but 
also offered up sacrifices to a few mortals, who, by their heroic 
deeds and virtuous lives, had won both admiration and respect. 
Foremost among these heroes — generally designated by the title 
of demigods — is Hercules (Heracles, Alcides), son of Jupiter 
and Alcmene, a mortal princess. 

As soon as the tidings of Hercules' birth reached Olympus, 
Juno began to plot how to destroy her rival's child. Two colossal 
Juno persecutes serpents with poisonous fangs were therefore dis- 

Hercuies. patched by her orders to attack the babe in its cra- 
dle. The monsters crept along noiselessly, entered the palace un- 
seen, twined themselves around the cradle, and were about to crush 
the child to death in their folds, when, to the utter astonishment 
of the helpless attendants, little Hercules caught them fast by the 
neck in each tiny hand and strangled them, thus giving the first 
proof of the marvelous strength which was to make him famous. 

216 




HERCULES AN INFANT. 
( Louvre, Paris.) 



(217) 



218 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" First two dread Snakes at Juno's vengeful nod 
Climb'd round the cradle of the sleeping God; 
Waked by the shrilling hiss, and rustling sound, 
And shrieks of fair attendants trembling round, 
Their gasping throats with clenching hands he holds; 
And Death untwists their convoluted folds." 

Darwin. 

When Juno perceived how easily Hercules had escaped from 
the danger which threatened him, she deemed it useless to make 
another attempt to take his life, but decided to vex his proud 
spirit by inflicting many petty annoyances, and to prevent his 
enjoying any lasting peace or happiness. 

To achieve this purpose, she first extorted from Jupiter a de- 
cree that condemned Hercules to serve his cousin Eurystheus — 
a mean and cowardly prince who ruled over the kingdom of 
Argos — for a certain number of years. 

Hercules' education was carefully attended to by Chiron, a 
learned Centaur, who taught him how to use all the different 
weapons, and trained him in all kinds of athletic sports. The 
years passed by happily and swiftly, until at last the time came 
when Hercules' education was completed, and the whole world 
lay before him, full of pleasant possibilities, and rich with many 
attractions. 

The youthful hero, dismissed by his instructor, now set out to 
seek his fortunes. He had not gone very far, however, before he 

Hercules' met two beautiful women, who immediately entered 

choice. j nto conversation with him, and drew from him a 

confession that he was in search of adventures. The women, 

Arete (Virtue) and Kakia (Vice), each offered to be his guide, 

but bade him choose which he preferred to follow. 

Kakia, to induce him to follow her guidance, promised riches, 
ease, consideration, and love ; while Arete, a modest maiden, 
warned him that in her wake he would be obliged to wage in- 
cessant war against evil, to endure hardships without number, 
and spend his days in toil and poverty. 



HERCULES. 219 

Silently Hercules pondered for a while over these two so dis- 
similar offers, and then, mindful of his tutor's oft-repeated in- 
structions, rose from his seat by the wayside, and, turning to 
Arete, declared himself ready to obey any command she might 
choose to give him. 

" Young Hercules with firm disdain 
Braved the soft smiles of Pleasure's harlot train ; 
To valiant toils his forceful limbs assign'd, 
And gave to Virtue all his mighty mind." 

Darwin. 

Courageously he then trod along the rough and thorny path 
she pointed out, and patiently performed the various tasks she 
assigned him, delivering the oppressed, defending the weak, and 
redressing all wrongs. 

In reward for these good actions he received the hand of 
Megara, daughter of Creon, King of Thebes, in marriage, and 
by her had three children, whom he tenderly loved. Hercules' 
But Juno was not at all satisfied to see him lead- madness, 
ing such a peaceful and prosperous life, and to interrupt its even 
course drove the hero mad. 

In a fit of delirium he threw his offspring into the fire, and, 
we are told, slew his dearly beloved wife. Then only he re- 
covered his senses, and suffered agonies of sorrow and remorse 
for the terrible crimes he had unwittingly committed. In his 
grief he withdrew to the mountain solitudes, where he would prob- 
ably have lingered all the remainder of his life, had not Mercury 
come to get him, and announced that he was to serve Eurystheus, 
King of Argos, for a twelvemonth. 

The messenger god then offered to lead him to his appointed 
taskmaster. But when Hercules learned he was doomed to 
be a slave, he fell into such a passion, that he Hercules in 
nearly lost his reason again ; and instead of killing servitude, 
noxious beasts, and winning the people's blessings by his deeds 
of kindness, he wandered about stupidly and aimlessly, until he 
finally perceived how vain was his attempt to struggle against 



220 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

fate, and urged by his chosen adviser, Arete, voluntarily offered 
his services to Eurystheus, who informed him that he must ac- 
complish twelve great labors ere he could again be free. 

Eager to begin the appointed tasks, Hercules set out first to 

find and destroy a monstrous lion, whose den was in the Nemean 

Forest. Far and wide, throughout the whole neigh- 

Nemean lion. . . . 

borhood, this monster committed his depredations, 
carrying off cattle and sheep, men, women, and children, to devour 
at his ease. All warned Hercules of the danger and difficulty 
of the undertaking, described the failure of countless previous 
attempts to slay the monster, and prophesied that he would never 
return alive. The hero would not be dissuaded, but entered the 
forest, tracked the lion to his den, grasped him by the throat, and 
strangled him as he had strangled the snakes in his infancy. 
He then skinned the monster, whose shaggy pelt became his 
favorite covering. 

" So from Nemea's den Alcides strode, 
The lion's yellow spoil around his shoulders flow'd." 

Flaccus (Elton's tr.). 

On his return to Argos to report the successful termination of 
his first task, Hercules was told to repair to the marshes of 

Hydra of Lerna, where lurked a seven-headed serpent, the 
Lema. Hydra, and put an end to its career of rapacity, 

for this snake devoured man and beast. Armed with a great 
sword, Hercules succeeded in cutting off one of the seven heads ; 
but he had no sooner done so, than, to his dismay, he saw 
seven other heads suddenly spring from the bleeding stump. 
To prevent a repetition of this unpleasant miracle, Hercules 
bade his friend Iolaus, who had accompanied him thither to 
view his prowess, take a lighted brand and sear the wounds as 
soon as inflicted. Thanks to this wise plan, the monster was 
finally slain, although a friendly crab sent by Juno to defend 
Hydra continually pinched Hercules' feet. The hero, angry at 
this intervention, crushed the crab, which, however, received its 



HERCULES. 221 

reward, for the Queen of Heaven placed it in the sky as the 
constellation of Cancer (the Crab). The country was thus freed 
from its long state of thraldom; but, before leaving the scene 
of his second labor, Hercules dipped his arrows in the Hydra's 
venomous blood, knowing well that any wound they inflicted, 
however slight, would be sure to prove fatal. 

The third task appointed by Eurystheus was the capture of 
the golden-horned, brazen-footed stag of Cerynea, whose fleet- 
ness was such that he seemed scarcely to touch stag of 
the ground. Hercules was obliged to pursue this Cerynea. 
animal for many a weary mile before he could overtake him ; and 
he only managed the capture by driving him into a deep snow- 
drift, in a distant northern land, from which he extricated him, 
and carried him home in triumph. 

The same success crowned his fourth labor, the capture of the 
wild boar of Erymanthus in Arcadia. Attacked by the Cen- 
taurs during the performance of this labor, Her- Erymanthian 
cules turned his deadly arrows upon them, and ac- boar - 

cidentally wounded his beloved tutor Chiron, who was coming to 
settle the dispute. Vainly the hero applied every healing herb. 
The wound was mortal, and Chiron died ; but in reward for his 
good offices the gods transferred him to the sky, where he is 
known as the constellation Sagittarius. 

Hercules was next sent to Augeas, King of Elis, who had im- 
mense droves of cattle. The stables usually occupied by these 
animals were in an incredibly filthy state, as they Augean 
had not been cleaned in years ; and now Hercules stables, 
was given the task to remove the accumulated filth, and make a 
complete purification of the premises. 

Close by these stables rushed a torrent, or rather a river, the 
Alpheus. Hercules, with one glance, saw the use he could make 
of this rushing stream, which he dammed and turned aside from 
its course, so that the waters passed directly through the stables, 
carrying away all impurities, and finally washing them perfectly 
clean. 




(222) 



HERCULES AND CENTAUR.— Bologna. 
( Florence.) 



HERCULES. 223 

" Nothing else 
Could clean the Augean stables." 

Wordsworth. 

When Hercules saw that the work of purification was thor- 
oughly accomplished, he guided the stream back to its origi- 
nal bed, and returned home to announce that the fifth labor was 
accomplished. The fabulous filth of the Augean stables, and the 
radical methods employed for their cleansing, have given rise to 
proverbial expressions still in current use. 

Hercules next journeyed off to Crete to accomplish his sixth 
task, the capture of a mad bull given by Neptune to Minos, 
king of the island. The god had sent the ani- 

... Cretan bull. 

mal with directions that he should be offered up 
in sacrifice ; but Minos, charmed with his unusual size and 
beauty, resolved to keep him, and substituted a bull from his own 
herds for the religious ceremony. 

Angry at seeing his express command so wantonly disobeyed, 
Neptune maddened the bull, which rushed wildly all over the 
island, causing great damage. This was the animal that Her- 
cules, with his usual strength and skill, caught and bound fast, 
thus finishing the sixth task. 

He then hastened on to Thrace, where Diomedes, the king, 
kept some fine coursers, which were fed on human flesh. In order 
to obtain a sufficient supply of fresh meat for his Diomedes' 
horses, Diomedes had decreed that all strangers steeds, 
who ventured into his kingdom should be seized, and, when 
sufficiently fat, executed, and served up in his horses' mangers. 
To punish Diomedes for this long-continued barbarity, Hercules 
fed him to his own horses, which were then led off to Eurystheus, 
as a token that the seventh labor was done. 

Now, at the court of Eurystheus was his beautiful daughter, 
Admete, a vain princess, who delighted in dress and jewels, and 
who was never happier than when she obtained Hippoiyte's 
some new ornament or article of apparel. One day girdle. 

Admete heard a traveler describe a girdle worn by Hippolyte, 



224 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

queen of the Amazons, and was immediately seized by the desire 
to possess the ornament. 

She imparted this wish to Eurystheus, who, delighted to gratify 
her as long as he could do so without taking any personal risk 
or trouble, sent Hercules in quest of the coveted jewel. The 
journey to the land of the Amazons — a fierce, warlike .nation 
of women — was long and dangerous; but Hercules traveled on 
undaunted, nor paused, except when his services were needed in 
furthering some good work for mortals, until he reached their 
land, presented himself before their queen, and boldly explained 
the cause of his presence. Hippolyte listened to his explanation 
and request with queenly condescension, promised to consider 
the matter, and in the mean while bade him feast and rest in her 
palace. 

Hercules would have succeeded in this undertaking without 
any trouble, had not Juno suddenly remembered his existence, 
and resolved to continue her never entirely forgotten persecu- 
tions. In the guise of an Amazon, she mingled among the women, 
and artfully spread the report that Hercules had really come to 
kidnap their queen, and that the pretended quest of the girdle 
was a mere excuse, and only intended to distract their attention 
from his real purpose. The Amazons yielded implicit belief to 
these rumors, flew to arms, and surrounded their queen. 

" The Amazons array their ranks, 
In painted arms of radiant sheen 
Around Hippolyte the queen." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

The assembled force then attacked Hercules, who met their 
onslaught single-handed, defeated them, and finally bore away 
the prize he had risked so much to obtain. It was on his home- 
ward journey from this expedition that he saved Hesione, Laom- 
edon's daughter, from the jaws of the sea monster who was about 
to devour her, as he had devoured many a fair Trojan maid 
before her (p. 152). 




(225) 



2 26 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Eurystheus, well pleased with the manner in which Hercules 

had accomplished eight out of the twelve tasks, bade him now go 

Stymphaiian forth and slay the dangerous, brazen-clawed birds 

birds. which hovered over the stagnant waters of Lake 

Stymphalus. The poisoned arrows now served him in good 

stead, and enabled him \o put a speedy end to the whole flock. 

"His arrows slew 
The monsters hovering fell Stymphalus round." 

Catullus. 

Hercules was next told to capture the divine cattle of Gery- 
ones, a giant of Er ythea. On his way home with this marvelous 

Cat.tie of herd, Hercules paused on Mount Aventine, where, 

Geryones. during the night, the loathsome giant Cacus stole 
some of his cows. To punish him for this theft, Hercules forced 
his way into his cave, attacked him, and, after a memorable en- 
counter, slew him. The animals were soon after delivered into 
the hands of Eurystheus, who then sent Hercules in search of 
the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. 

This commission sadly perplexed Hercules, for he did not know 
in what portion of the world he would find these apples, which had 

Hesperian been given to Juno as a wedding present, and which 
apples. g^g had intrusted to the care of the Hesperides, 
daughters of Hesperus, god of the West. After numerous journeys 
and many inquiries, Hercules discovered that these maidens had 
carried these apples off to Africa, hung them on a tree in their 
garden, and placed the dragon Ladon at its foot to guard their 
treasures night and day. Unfortunately, no one could tell Her- 
cules in what part of Africa the garden of the Hesperides might 
be situated: so he set out at a venture, determined to travel 
about until he gained some information. On his way he met 
with many adventures, and saw many strange sights. For in- 
stance, he first met the nymphs of the Eridanus River, and, 
questioning them about the golden apples, was told to consult 
old Nereus, god of the sea, who would probably be able to give 
him some information on the subject. 



HERCULES. 227 

Hercules, having surprised this aged divinity while asleep on 
the seashore, held him fast, in spite of the multitudinous trans- 
formations he underwent in the vain hope of frightening his 
would-be interlocutor away. In answer to Hercules' question, he 
finally very reluctantly bade him seek Prometheus, who alone 
would be able to direct him aright. 

In obedience to this advice, Hercules went to the Caucasian 
Mountains, where, on the brink of a mighty precipice, he found 
Prometheus, still bound with adamantine chains, and still a prey 
to the ravenous vulture (p. 28). To spring up the mountain side, 
kill the cruel bird, snap the adamantine chains, and set free the 
benefactor of all mankind, was the work of but a few minutes for 
such a hero as Hercules ; and, in gratitude for the deliverance he 
had so long sought in vain, Prometheus directed Hercules to 
his brother Atlas, telling him he would be sure to know where 
the apples could be found. 

Hercules wended his way to Africa, where Atlas dwelt, and 
on his way passed through the land of a diminutive race of men, 
called Pvgmies, who were so small that they lived 

, r -, ■ ■ ■ 1 , 1 Pygmies. 

in constant dread of their neighbors, so much 
larger and stronger than they, and of the cranes, which passed 
over their country in great flocks, and sometimes alighted to de- 
vour their harvests. 

To guard against these constant inroads, the Pygmies finally 
accepted the services of Antaeus, a giant son of Gaea, who gen- 
erously offered to defend them against all their enemies. When 
these little people, therefore, saw Hercules' mighty form looming 
up in the dim distance, they called aloud for fear, and bade 
Antaeus go forth and kill the new invader, who, they wrongly 
fancied, had evil designs against them. 

Proud of his strength, Antaeus went to meet Hercules, and de- 
fied him. A fierce struggle was the immediate result of this chal- 
lenge, and, as the combatants were of equal size and strength, 
the victory seemed very uncertain. At last Hercules felt his 
great strength begin to fail, and noticed that every time his ad- 



228 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

versary touched the ground he seemed to renew his vigor. He 
therefore resolved to try and win by strategy, and, watching his 
opportunity, seized Antaeus round the waist, raised him from the 
ground, and held him aloft in his powerful embrace. 
- The giant struggled with all his might to get free ; but Hercules 
held him fast, and felt him grow weaker and weaker, now that 
he was no longer sustained by his mother Earth, from whom he 
derived all his strength, until at last his struggles ceased, and he 
hung limp and lifeless in Hercules' crushing embrace. 

" Lifts proud Antaeus from his mother-plains, 
And with strong grasp the struggling giant strains ; 
Back falls his fainting head and clammy hair, 
Writhe his weak limbs, and flits his life in air." 

Darwin. 

Now that the gigantic defender of the Pygmies no longer 
blocked his way, Hercules traveled onward in search of Atlas, 
whom he finally found supporting the heavens on 
his broad shoulders. Atlas listened attentively to 
all Hercules had to say, declared he knew where the apples 
could be found, and promised to get them if the hero would 
only relieve him of his burden for a little while. Glad to accom- 
plish his purpose so easily, Hercules allowed the burden of the 
heavens to be transferred to his shoulders, and Atlas hastened off 
to fulfill his part of the agreement. 

From afar the giant saw the golden fruit glittering in the 
sunshine. Stealthily he drew near, entered the gardens, slew the 
dragon in his sleep, plucked the apples, and returned unmolested 
to the place where he had left Hercules. But his steps became 
slower and slower ; and as he neared the hero, he could not help 
thinking with horror of the burden he must so soon resume, and 
bear for centuries, perhaps, without relief. 

This thought oppressed him. Freedom was so sweet, that he 
resolved to keep it, and, coolly stepping up to Hercules, an- 
nounced that he would carry the golden apples to Eurystheus, 
and leave him to support the heavens in his stead. Feign- 



Atlas. 



HERCULES. 229 

ing a satisfaction which he was very far from feeling, Hercules 
acquiesced, but detained Atlas for a moment, asking him to 
hold the heavens until he could place a cushion on his shoulders. 
Good-natured, as giants proverbially are, Atlas threw the apples 
on the grass beside him, and assumed the incumbent weight ; 
but Hercules, instead of preparing to resume it, picked up the 
apples, leaving Atlas alone, in the same plight as he had found 
him, there to remain until some more compassionate hero should 
come and set him free. 

" There Atlas, son of great Iapetus, 

With head inclined and ever- during arms, 
Sustains the spacious heavens." 

Hesiod. 

It was during the course of one of his mighty labors, that 
Hercules, with one wrench of his powerful arm, tore a cleft in 
the mountains, and allowed the waters of the Sea to flow into 
Oceanus ; and ever since, the rocks on either side of the Strait 
of Gibraltar have borne the name of Hercules' Pillars. 

The twelfth and last task appointed by Eurystheus was the most 
difficult of all to perform. Hercules was commanded to descend 
into Hades and bring up the dog Cerberus, securely bound. 

" But for the last, to Pluto's drear abode 
Through the dark jaws of Tasnarus he went, 
To drag the triple-headed dog to light." 

Euripides (Potter's tr.). 

This command, like all the others, was speedily obeyed ; but 
Eurystheus was so terrified at the aspect of the triple-headed 
dog, from the foam of whose dripping jaws the nightshade 
sprang, that he took refuge in a huge jar, and refused to come 
out until Hercules had carried the monster back to his cave. 

The twelve appointed labors were finished ; the time of bond- 
age was ended ; and Hercules, a free man, could wander at his 
own sweet will, and enjoy the happiness of freedom. A roam- 
ing existence had, from force of habit, become a necessity : so 
IS 



230 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the hero first journeyed to Olympia, where he instituted games 
to be celebrated every fifth year in honor of Jupiter, his father. 

Olympian Thence he wandered from place to place, doing 
Games. good, and came to the house of Admetus, where 
he was surprised to find all the court in mourning. 

His sympathetic inquiries soon brought forth a full account 
of Alcestis' sacrifice of her own life to insure the immortality of 
her husband (p. 65). The hero's heart was touched by the king's 
loneliness ; and he again braved the terrors of Hades, and brought 
Alcestis back from the grave, and restored her to her husband's 
arms. 

Hercules took a prominent part in many heroic enterprises. 
Among others, he joined in the Argonautic expedition (p. 266), in 
the battle between the Centaurs and Lapithae (p. 260), in the war 
of the gods and giants, and in the first siege of Troy (p. 152), 
which proved successful. 

But the hero, although so lately escaped from servitude, was 
Hercules and soon obliged to return into bondage ; for in a fit 

Omphaie. Q £ an g er ne s i ew a mari) and was condemned by 
the assembled gods to serve Omphaie, Queen of Lydia, for a 
certain lapse of time. 

No great deeds were now required of Hercules, whose strength 
was derided by his new mistress, and who, governing him easily 
by his admiration for her, made him submit to occupations un- 
worthy of a man, and, while he was busy spinning, decked herself 
in his lion's skin, and brandished his renowned club. 

11 His lion spoils the laughing Fair demands, 
And gives the distaff to his awkward hands." 

Darwin. 

However unworthy these effeminate tasks may seem for such a 
hero, they proved very agreeable indeed to Hercules, who, having 
fallen in love with his new mistress, seemed to wish nothing bet- 
ter than to remain her slave forever, and end his days in idleness 
and pleasure. Great labors were awaiting his mighty arm, how- 




HERCULES AT THE FEET OF OMPHALE.— Gleyre. (231) 



232 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

ever ; and the gods, at the appointed time, freed him from his 
bondage to the Lydian queen, and bade him go forth and do all 
the good in his power. 

In the course of his wanderings, Hercules next met Deianeira, 
Hercules and daughter of GEneus, and, having fallen in love with 
Deianeira. ^er, expressed a desire to marry her. But unfortu- 
nately another suitor, the river god Achelous, had already won 
the father's consent. 

u Achelous came, 
The river god, to ask a father's voice, 
And snatched me to his arms." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

So sure was this suitor of his attractions, that he did not even 
deem it necessary to secure the maiden's good graces ; and when 
Hercules made known his love, she immediately promised to 
marry him, if he would only free her from the lover her father 
would fain force upon her. Delighted to be able to win his 
bride and punish his rival at the same time, Hercules challenged 
Achelous ; and now began a wrestling match, the fame of which 
has come down to us through all the intervening centuries. 

Achelous was an opponent worthy of Hercules, and, besides, 
took advantage of his power to change his form at will, further 
to perplex and harass the sturdy hero. At last he assumed the 
shape of a bull, and with lowered horns rushed toward Hercules, 
intending to toss him aside. The hero, skillfully avoiding his 
first onset, seized him by one of his great thickset horns, and 
held it so firmly that all the bull's efforts to free himself from his 
powerful grasp were vain, until the horn broke. 

The Goddess of Plenty, the Attican Fortuna, a witness of this 
strange combat, appropriated the broken horn, stuffed her treas- 
ures in its hollow, and was so well pleased with the effect, that 
she decreed it should henceforth be one of her attributes. The 
fight, only temporarily suspended, was now resumed with re- 
doubled ardor, for each of the lovers was intent upon winning 
the hand of the fair Deianeira. 




FORTUNA. 

( Vatican, Rome.) 



(233) 



234 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

11 Warm, and more warm the conflict grows: 
Dire was the noise of rattling bows, 
Of front to front opposed, and hand to hand : 
Deep was the animated strife 
For love, for conquest, and for life." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

The victory, though long uncertain, finally rested with Her- 
cules, who triumphantly departed with his hard-won bride, for 
his destiny would not permit him to tarry long in any place. 
Instead of wandering alone now, with none to cheer or sympa- 
thize, Hercules had Deianeira ever at his side ; and after many 
days they came to the river Evenus, whose usually shallow and 
peaceful waters were swollen and turbid, for violent rainstorms 
had recently swept over that portion of the country. 

Hercules paused for a moment to contemplate the stream, 
and glanced about for some safe mode to transport Deianeira 
story of across. While he was thus considering, a Centaur 
Nessus. by the name of Nessus came to his assistance, and 
proposed to carry the fair young bride to the other shore in com- 
plete safety, if she. would but consent to mount upon his broad 
back. 

" The hoary centaur, who was wont for hire 
To bear the traveler o'er the rapid flood 
Of deep Evenus : not with oars or sail 
He stemm'd the torrent, but with nervous arm 
Opposed and pass'd it ; me, when first a bride, 
I left my father's hospitable roof 
With my Alcides, in his arms he bore 
Athwart the current." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Hercules, only too glad to avail himself of the Centaur's kind 
offer of assistance, quickly helped Deianeira to mount, saw them 
descend into the water, and prepared to follow, holding his bow 
and arrows aloft in one hand, and breasting the waves with the 
other. 

Now, the Centaur Nessus did not often have the good fortune 



HERCULES. 235 

to carry such a pretty passenger as Deianeira over the river, and 
as he swam he made up his mind to gallop off with her as soon 
as he reached the opposite shore. All his strength and energy, 
therefore, were called into requisition ; and when he reached the 
shore, instead of pausing to allow his fair burden to dismount, 
he set off as fast as he could run. 

A loud shriek from Deianeira attracted Hercules' attention, 
and a second later one of his poisoned arrows had brought the 
would-be ravisher to the ground, pierced through 

Nessus' robe. 

the heart. With dying accents the Centaur Nessus 
professed repentance, and bade Deianeira take his robe, — but 
slightly stained with the blood which gushed from the wound 
inflicted by the poisoned arrow, — and keep it carefully, for it 
had magic power ; and if she ever found her husband's love wan- 
ing, he assured her, that, could she but induce him to put it on, 
all his early affection would revive, as pure and fervent as during 
their honeymoon. 

'"Take 
This white robe. It is costly. See, my blood 
Has stained it but a little. I did wrong: 
I know it, and repent me. If there come 
A time when he grows cold — for all the race 
Of heroes wander, nor can any love 
Fix theirs for long — take it and wrap him in it, 
And he shall love again.' " 

Lewis Morris. 

Deianeira gratefully accepted the proffered gift, and promised 
to treasure it up carefully, although she sincerely hoped she 
would never be called upon to make use of it. Years passed by. 
Hercules often left Deianeira to deliver the oppressed and relieve 
the suffering, for people came from great distances to ask for his 
aid ; and although his absences were sometimes prolonged, he 
always returned to her side, as loving as ever, and she had no 
cause for complaint. Finally duty took him back to the court of 
Eurytus, where he beheld Iole, whom he had seen and loved in 
the beginning of his career, but whom he had been obliged to 



236 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

leave to fulfill his arduous tasks. She was still young and charm- 
ing, and his first glance into her sweet face rekindled all his 
former passion. Day after day he lingered by her side, forgetful 
of duty, Deianeira, and all but his first dream of love and happi- 
ness. When absent, Deianeira was wont to hear rumors of his 
heroic achievements ; but on this occasion the only report which 
reached her ear was that he had returned to his allegiance to his 
first love, and this roused her jealousy, so long dormant. 

Finally she heard that Hercules was wending his way home- 
ward again, and her heart bounded with joy, but only to sink 

Deianeira's more heavily when told that he was accompanied 
jealousy. ^y j j e an( j a numerous train. , Then she remem- 
bered the long-forgotten gift of the Centaur. With trembling 
hands she sought the glittering robe, gave it to a messenger, and 
bade him hasten to meet Hercules, and prevail upon him to 
wear it for his triumphant return. The messenger, Lichas, has- 
tened to do her bidding, and Deianeira waited with fast-beating 
heart for the success of her venture. 

" I only wish the charm may be of power 
To win Alcides from this virgin's love, 
And bring him back to Deianeira's arms." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Lichas acquitted himself faithfully of his errand ; and Hercules, 
viewing the costly garment, and anxious to appear to his best 
advantage before the bright eyes of Tole, immediately donned 
the richly embroidered robe. 

He had no sooner put it on, than the Centaur's poisoned 
blood began its deadly work. First he experienced a burning, 

Hercules' stinging sensation, which ran like fire through every 
death. vein. Vainly he tried to tear off the fatal garment. 

It clung to his limbs, and the poison ate its way into his flesh, 
until the pain was greater than he could bear. 

In his rage at the trick which had been played upon him, he 
seized Lichas — the unfortunate bearer of the poisoned robe — 




FARNESE HERCULES. 

(National Museum, Naples.) 



(237) 



238 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

by the foot, and flung him from the heights of Mount (Eta down 
into the sea, where he perished. 

" And Lichas from the top of (Eta threw 
Into th' Euboic Sea." 

Milton. 

Then, resolved to end these unendurable torments by a death 
worthy of his whole life, Hercules called his servants, and bade 
them build his funeral pyre on the mountain peak ; but they, in 
tears, refused to obey, for they could not bear the thought of 
parting with their beloved master. Commands and entreaties 
alike failed to move them : so Hercules climbed up the mountain 
side alone, tore up the huge oaks by their roots, flung them one 
upon the other until he had raised a mighty pile, upon which he 
stretched his colossal, pain-racked limbs, and bade his friend 
Philoctetes set fire to the stupendous mass. 

At first Philoctetes also refused to do his bidding ; but, bribed 
by the promise of the world-renowned poisoned arrows, he finally 
consented to do as Hercules wished, and the red flames rose 
higher and higher, the wood crackled and burned, and the hero 
was soon enveloped in sheets of flame, which purged him from 
all mortality. 

Then Jupiter came down from his glorious abode, caught the 
noble soul in his mighty arms, and bore it off to Olympus, there 
to dwell in happiness forever with Hebe, the fair goddess of 
youth, whose hand was given him in marriage. 

" Till the god, the earthly part forsaken, 
From the man in flames asunder taken, 
Drank the heavenly ethers' purer breath. 
Joyous in the new, unwonted lightness, 
Earth's dark, heavy burden lost in death. 
High Olympus gives harmonious greeting 
To the hall where reigns his sire adored ; 
Youth's bright goddess, with a blush at meeting, 
Gives the nectar to her lord." 

Schiller (S. G. B.'s tr.). 



HERCULES.. 239 

Hercules, the special divinity of athletic sports and of strength, 
was principally worshiped by young men. He is worship of 
generally represented in art as a tall, powerfully Hercules, 
built man, with a small, bearded head, a lion's skin carelessly 
thrown over his shoulder, and leaning upon a massive club. 

"Great Alcides, stooping with his toil, 
Rests on his club." 

Pope. 

It is said that some of the games celebrated at Olympia were 
held in his honor, although originally instituted by him in honor 
of Jupiter, his father. The Nemean Games, celebrated in the 
forest of Nemea, the scene of his first great labor, were the 
principal games held in Greece in commemoration of his noble 
deeds and early death. 



CHAPTER XX. 

PERSEUS. 

The life of Acrisius, King of Argos, had been a burden to 
him ever since the unfortunate day when an oracle had predicted 
Acrisius and that he would be killed by his grandson. Until 
Danae. ^ien foe king had been very fond of his only child, 
Danae, and until then, too, had thought with pride of the time 
when he would bestow her hand in marriage upon the noblest of 
all who came to woo. 

Now his plans were all changed, and his only wish was to 
keep her unmated, — a somewhat difficult task, for the maiden 
was very fair, and Acrisius knew that the wily God of Love 
would endeavor to find some way to outwit him and bring his 
plans to naught. After much thought, Acrisius decided to lock 
Danae up in a brazen tower, around which he stationed guards 
to prevent any one from even approaching the captive princess. 

But, although safely concealed from the eyes of men, Danae 
was plainly seen by the everlasting gods ; and Jupiter, looking 
down from Olympus, beheld her in all her loveliness and in all 
her loneliness. She was seated on top of her brazen tower, her 
eyes wistfully turned toward the city, where girls of her age en- 
joyed freedom, and were allowed to marry when they pleased. 

Jupiter, pitying her isolation and admiring her beauty, re- 
solved to go down and converse with her for a little while. To 
The shower avoid being seen, he changed himself into a golden 
of gold. shower, and gently dropped down on the turret 
beside her, where his presence and spirited conversation soon won 
the maiden's heart. 

240 



PERSEUS. 24 

Danae, in a brazen tower 

Where no love was, loved a shower." 

Shelley. 



This first successful visit was frequently repeated, and Danae 
no longer felt lonely and deserted, for Jupiter spent most of his 
time with her, pursuing his courtship most diligently, and finally 
winning her to a secret marriage, to which no one offered the 
slightest objection, as no one suspected his visits, which he con- 
tinued quite unmolested. 

But one morning the guards rushed in terror to Acrisius' pal- 
ace to announce that Danae, his daughter, had given birth to a 
son, who, on account of his beauty, was called Per- Birth of 
seus. The king no sooner learned this astonish- Perseus, 
ing news, than he flew into a great rage, vowed that mother and 
child should perish, and dispatched the guards to fetch the un- 
fortunate victims. 

Acrisius, however, was not cruel enough to stain his own 
hands with his child's blood, or to witness her execution : so he 
ordered that she should be placed in an empty cask with her 
helpless infant, and exposed to the fury of the waves. These 
orders were speedily executed ; and Danae's heart sank with terror 
when she felt the cask buffeted about by the great waves far out 
of sight of land, and out of all reach of help. Clasping her babe 
close to her bosom, she fervently prayed the gods to watch over 
them both, and bring them in safety to some hospitable shore. 

" When round the well-fram'd ark the blowing blast 
Roar'd, and the heaving whirlpools of the deep 
With rough'ning surge seem'd threatening to o'erturn 
The wide-tost vessel, not with tearless cheeks 
The mother round her infant gently twined 
Her tender arm, and cried, * Ah me ! my child ! 
What sufferings I endure ! thou sleep'st the while, 
Inhaling in thy milky-breathing breast 
The balm of slumber.' " 

Simonides (Elton's tr.). 



242 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Her piteous prayer was evidently heard, for, after much toss- 
ing, the cask was finally washed ashore on the Island of Seriphus, 

Danae at where Polydectes, the king, kindly received mother 

Senphus. an( j cn j"icl. Here Perseus, the golden-haired, grew 
to manhood, and here made his first appearance in games and 
combats. 

In the mean while, Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae, 
and expressed his desire to marry her ; but Danae did not return 
his affections, and would not consent. Angry at her persistent 
refusal of his proposals, Polydectes wished to compel her to obey, 
and thereby incurred the wrath of young Perseus, who loudly de- 
clared that none should dare force his mother as long as he were 
there to defend her. This boast did not at all allay the monarch's 
wrath ; and, hoping to get rid of the young boaster, he bade 
him go forth and slay Medusa, if he wished to convince people 
that his bravery was real. 

This Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. Her sisters, Eury- 
ale and Stheno, although immortal, had never had any claims 
to beauty ; but Medusa, when only a girl, had been 
considered very handsome indeed. Her home, in 
a land where the sun never shone, was very distasteful to her, so 
she entreated Minerva to let her go and visit the beautiful sunny 
south. 

But when Minerva refused to grant her wish, she reviled the 
goddess, and declared that nothing but a conviction that mortals 
would no longer consider her beautiful if they but once beheld 
Medusa, could have prompted this denial. This presumptuous 
remark so incensed Minerva, that, to punish her for her vanity, 
she changed her beautiful curling locks into hissing, writhing ser- 
pents, and decreed that one glance into her still beautiful face 
would suffice to change the beholder into stone. 

" Fatal Beauty ! thou didst seem 
The phantom of some fearful dream. 
Extremes of horror and of love 
Alternate o'er our senses move, 



PERSEUS. 243 

As, rapt and spellbound, we survey 
The horrid coils which round thee play, 
And mark thy wild, enduring smile, 
Lit by no mortal fire the while, 
Formed to attract all eyes to thee, 
And yet their withering blight to be; 
Thy power mysterious to congeal 
And from life's blood its warmth to steal, 
To petrify the mortal clay 
In its first gleam of wild dismay, 
Is a dread gift to one like thee, 
Cursed with a hateful destiny." 

Mrs. St. John. 

The gods, who had carefully watched over Perseus through his 
childhood and youth, now decided to lend him their aid, so that 
he might successfully accomplish the great task of Perseus' 
slaying Medusa. Pluto lent him a magic helmet, quest, 

which made the wearer invisible at will ; Mercury attached his 
own winged sandals to the youth's heels, to endow him with 
great rapidity of flight ; while Minerva armed him with her own 
mirrorlike shield, the dreadful y^gis. 

" Minerva thus to Perseus lent her shield; 
Secure of conquest, sent him to the field : 
The hero acted what the queen ordain'd, 
So was his fame complete." 

Prior. 

Thus equipped, Perseus flew northward until he came to the 
land of perpetual darkness, the home of the Graeae, three horrible 
sisters, who possessed but one eye and one tooth, 

The Gra£c£, 

which they handed about and used in turn, and 

who were the only living beings cognizant of the place where 

Medusa dwelt. 

Invisible by virtue of his magic helmet, Perseus drew near the 
cave without fear of detection, and intercepted the eye while on 
its way from one sister to another. As soon as it was safe in his 
possession, he spoke to them, promising to restore it if they would 



244 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

only give him accurate directions for finding Medusa. The sis- 
ters, eager to recover the treasured eye, immediately gave the 
desired information ; and Perseus, having honorably fulfilled his 
share of the contract, departed in search of Medusa. 

Perseus at last perceived the Gorgon's home in the dim dis- 
tance ; and, as he was fully aware of Medusa's petrifying proclivi- 
Death of ties, he advanced very cautiously, holding his shield 
Medusa. before him at such an angle that all surrounding 
objects were clearly reflected on its smooth, mirrorlike surface. 

He thus discovered Medusa asleep, raised his sword, and, 
without looking, at anything but her mirrored form, severed her 
head from her body, seized it in one hand, and, holding it persist- 
ently behind his back, flew away in great haste, lest the two 
remaining Gorgons shoulcTTall upon him and attempt to avenge 
their sister's death. 

Perseus then swiftly winged his way over land and sea, care- 
fully holding his ghastly trophy behind him ; and as he flew, 
Birth of Medusa's blood trickled down on the hot African 

snakes sand, where it gave birth to a race of poisonous 

reptiles destined to infest the region in future ages, and cause 
the death of many an adventurous explorer. The drops which 
fell into the sea were utilized by Neptune, who created from them 
the famous winged steed called Pegasus (p. 154). 

" And the life drops from thy head 
On Libyan sands, by Perseus shed, 
Sprang a scourging race from thee — 
Fell types of artful mystery." 

Mrs. St. John. 

The return journey was long and wearisome, and on his way 
the hero had many adventures. Once, when flying high above a 
mountainous country, he caught a glimpse of Atlas, his pale face 
turned up to the heavens, whose weight he had patiently borne 
for many a long year, — a burden which seemed all the more 
grievous after the short taste of freedom he had enjoyed while 
Hercules stood in his place (pp. 228-9), — 




PERSEUS.— Cellini. 
( Loggia cle' Lanzi, Florence.) 



(245) 



246 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" Supporting on his shoulders the vast pillar 
Of Heaven and Earth, a weight of cumbrous grasp." 

^Eschylus (Potter's tr.). 

When Atlas saw Perseus flying toward him, hope revived, for 

he remembered that Fate had decreed that it was this hero who 

Atlas was to slay the Gorgon ; and he thought, that, if he 

petrified. could but once gaze upon her stony face, he would 
be free from pain and weariness forever. As soon as the hero was 
within hearing, Atlas therefore addressed him as follows: — 

" ' Hasten now, Perseus, and let me look upon the Gorgon's 
face, for the agony of my labor is well-nigh greater than I can 
bear.' So Perseus hearkened unto the word of Atlas, and he un- 
veiled before him the dead face of Medusa. Eagerly he gazed 
for a moment on the changeless countenance, as though beneath 
the blackness of great horror he yet saw the wreck of her ancient 
beauty and pitied her for her hopeless woe. But in an instant 
the straining eyes were stiff and cold ; and it seemed to Perseus, 
as he rose again into the pale yellow air, that the gray hairs 
which streamed from the giant's head were like the snow which 
rests on the peak of a great mountain, and that in place of the 
trembling limbs he saw only the rents and clefts on a rough hill- 
side." 

Thus the mere sight of Medusa changed Atlas into the rugged 
mountains which have since 'borne his name ; and, as their sum- 
mits are lost in the clouds, the ancients supposed they sustained 
the full weight of the heavenly vault. 

Thence Perseus flew on until he reached the seashore, where a 
strange sight greeted him. Away down on the "rock-bound 

story of coast," so near the foaming billows that their spray 
Andromeda, continually dashed over her fair limbs, a lovely 
maiden was chained fast to an overhanging rock. This maiden 
was the Princess Andromeda. To atone for the vanity of her 
mother, Cassiopeia, who claimed she was fairer than any of the 
sea nymphs, she had been exposed there as prey for a terrible 
sea monster sent to devastate the homes along the coast. 




(247) 



248 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

An oracle, when consulted, declared that the monster would 
not depart until Andromeda was sacrificed to his fury; and 
Perseus could even now perceive the receding procession which 
had solemnly accompanied her to the appointed place of sacri- 
fice, and chained her fast. 

At the same time, too, he saw the waters below the maiden 
lashed to foam by the monster's tail, and the scales of his hideous 
body slowly rising up out of the water. Fascinated by this hor- 
rible sight, the maiden's eyes were fixed on the monster. She did 
not see the rapid approach of her deliverer, who, dauntless, drew 
his sword from its scabbard, and, swooping down, attacked the 
monster, cheered by the shouts of the people, who had seen him, 
and now rushed back to witness the slaying of their foe. 

" On the hills a shout 
Of joy, and on the rocks the ring of mail; 
And while the hungry serpent's gloating eyes 
Were fixed on me, a knight in casque of gold 
And blazing shield, who with his flashing blade 
Fell on the monster. Long the conflict raged, 
Till all the rocks were red with blood and slime, 
And yet my champion from those horrible jaws 
And dreadful coils was scathless." 

Lewis Morris. 

Of course, this fierce struggle could have but one conclusion ; 
and when Perseus had slain the monster, freed Andromeda from 
her chains, and restored her to the arms of her overjoyed parents, 
they immediately offered any reward he might be pleased to 
claim. When he, therefore, expressed a desire to marry the 
maiden he had so bravely rescued, they gladly gave him her 
hand, although in early youth the princess had been promised 
to her uncle Phineus. 

Preparations for the marriage were immediately begun ; and 
the former suitor, who had been too cowardly to venture a single 
blow to deliver her from the monster, prepared to fight the rival 
who was about to carry off his promised bride. Unbidden he 



PERSEUS. 249 

came to the marriage feast with a number of armed followers, 
and was about to carry off Andromeda, when Perseus suddenly 
bade his adherents stand behind him, unveiled phineus 
the Medusa head, and, turning its baleful face petrified, 
toward Phineus and his followers, changed them all into stone. 

The interrupted marriage feast was now resumed ; and when 
it was over, Perseus took his bride to Seriphus. There, hearing 
that Polydectes had dared to ill treat his mother because she still 
refused to accede to his wishes and become his wife, he changed 
the importunate king into a rock by showing him his Medusa 
trophy, gave the kingdom to the king's brother, and, accom- 
panied by wife and mother, returned to his native land. The 
borrowed helmet, sandals, and shield were all duly restored to 
their respective owners, and the Medusa head was given to 
Minerva in token of gratitude for her help. Greatly pleased 
with this gift, the goddess set it in the center of her terrible ^Egis, 
where it retained all its petrifying power, and served her in many 
a fight. 

Arrived at Argos, Perseus discovered that a usurper had 
claimed his grandfather's throne. To hurl the unlawful claimant 
from his exalted seat, and compel him to make full Return to 
restitution and atonement, was but a trifle for the Argos. 

hero who had conquered Medusa ; and Acrisius, now old and 
weak, was taken from the prison where he languished, and re- 
stored to his wonted honors, by the very youth he had been taught 
to fear. 

But the gods' decree was always sure to be fulfilled sooner or 
later ; and one day, when Perseus was playing quoits, he acci- 
dentally killed his grandfather. To remain at Argos, haunted 
by the memory of this involuntary crime, was too painful for 
him: so he exchanged his kingdom for another, that of My- 
cenae, which he ruled. wisely and well. When Perseus died, after 
a long and glorious reign, the gods, who had always loved him, 
placed him among the stars, where he can still be seen, with his 
wife Andromeda, and mother-in-law Cassiopeia. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THESEUS. 



When yet but a very young man, ^Egeus, King of Athens, 
journeyed off to Troezene, where he fell in love with and married 
a pretty young princess by the name of ^Ethra. For some rea- 
son, which mythologists do not make known, the king was forced 
to return alone to Athens ; but ere he departed he concealed his 
sword and sandals beneath a stone, bidding his wife remember, 
that, as soon as the strength of their son Theseus permitted, he 
must raise the rock, appropriate sword and sandals, and come and 
join him in Athens, where he should be introduced to the people 
as his son and heir. These instructions given, ^Egeus bade a 
fond farewell to his wife and infant son, and returned home. 

As the years passed by, they brought strength, beauty, and 
wisdom to Theseus, whose fame began to be published abroad. 
At last ^Ethra deemed him strong enough to raise the rock be- 
neath which his father's trusty weapon lay ; and, conducting him 
to the spot where it was, she told him the whole story, and bade 
him try his strength. 

Theseus immediately obeyed. With a mighty effort he raised 
the rock, and, to his great satisfaction, found the sword and san- 
dals in a perfect state of preservation. Sword in hand, he then 
set out for Athens, — a long and dangerous journey. He pro- 
ceeded slowly and cautiously, for he knew that many dangers 
lurked along his pathway, and that ere he reached his father's 
city he would have to encounter both giants and monsters, who 
would strive to bar his way. 

250 



THESEUS. 251 

He was not at all mistaken in his previsions ; for Troezene was 
scarcely lost to sight ere he came across the giant Periphetes, 
son of Vulcan, who stood in the road and attacked 
"with a huge club, whose blows were generally fatal, 
all who strove to pass. Adroitly evading the giant's first on- 
slaught, Theseus plunged his sword deep into his huge side ere 
he could renew the attack, and brought him lifeless to the ground. 

Theseus then disarmed his fallen foe, and, retaining the club 
for future use, continued his journey in peace, until he came to 
the Isthmus of Corinth, where two adventures 
awaited him. The first was with a cruel giant 
named Sinis, nicknamed The Pine-bender, whose usual practice 
was to bend some huge pine until its top touched the ground, 
and call to any unsuspecting passer-by to seize it and lend him a 
helping hand for a moment. Then, as soon as the innocent 
stranger had complied with his request, he would suddenly let go 
the pine, which, freed from his gigantic grasp, sprang back to its 
upright position, and hurled the unfortunate traveler way up 
in the air, to be. dashed to pieces against the rocky mountain 
side. 

Theseus, who had already heard of the giant's stratagem, skill- 
fully eluded the danger, and finally caused Sinis to perish by the 
same cruel death which he had dealt out to so many others. 

In one place the Isthmus of Corinth was exceedingly narrow, 
and the only practicable pathway led along a rocky ledge, 
guarded by a robber named Sciron, who forced 

/ . Sciron. 

all who tried to pass him to wash his feet. While 

the traveler was thus engaged, and knelt in the narrow pathway 

to do his bidding, he would suddenly raise his foot, kick him 

over the side, and hurl him down into the sea below, where a 

huge tortoise was ever waiting with gaping jaws to devour the 

victims. 

Instead of yielding to Sciron's exactions, Theseus drew his 
sword, and by his determined bearing so terrified the robber, 
that he offered him a free passage. This offer, however, did not 



252 



CLASSICAL MYTHS. 



satisfy Theseus, who said he would sheathe his sword only on 
condition that Sciron performed for him the menial office he had 
imposed upon so many others.^ Sciron dared not refuse, and 
obeyed in fear and trembling ; but he was doomed never to 
molest any one again, for Theseus kicked him over the precipice, 
into the breakers, where the tortoise feasted upon his remains 
with as keen a relish as upon former victims. 

After disposing of another world-renowned robber, Cercyon 

(The Wrestler), Theseus encountered Procrustes (The Stretcher), a 

Cercyon and cruel giant, who, under pretext of entertainment, 

Procrustes. deluded travelers into entering his home, where 
he had two beds of very different dimensions, — one unusually 
short, the other unusually long. If the unfortunate traveler were 
a short man, he was put to bed in the long bedstead, and his 
limbs were pulled out of joint to make him fit it ; but if, on the 
contrary, he were tall, he was assigned the short bed, and the 
superfluous length of limb was lopped off under the selfsame 
pretext. Taking Procrustes quite unawares, Theseus gave him 
a faint idea of the sufferings he had inflicted upon others by 
making him try each bed in turn, and then, to avoid his con- 
tinuing these evil practices, put an end to his wretched existence. 

Theseus successfully accomplished a few more exploits of a 
similar character, and finally reached Athens, where he found 
that his fame had preceded him. 

" In days of old, there liv'd of mighty fame, 
A valiant prince, and Theseus was his name : 
A chief, who more in feats of arms excell'd, 

The rising nor the setting sun beheld." 

Morris. 

The first tidings that there reached his ear were that JEgeus had 
just married Medea, the enchantress ; but, although these tidings 
Medea's were very unwelcome, he hastened on to his 
draught. father's court, to make himself known, and re- 
ceive the welcome promised so many years before. Medea, 
seated by JEgeus' side, no sooner saw the young stranger draw 



THESEUS. 253 

near, than she knew him, and foresaw that he had come to 
demand his rights. To prevent his making known claims which 
might interfere with the prospects of her future offspring, she 
hastily mixed a deadly poison in a cup, which she filled with 
fragrant wine, and bade yEgeus offer it to the stranger. 

The monarch was about to execute her apparently hospitable 
purpose, when his eye suddenly rested upon the sword at Theseus' 
side, which he immediately recognized. One swift glance into 
the youth's open face convinced him that ^Ethra's son stood be- 
fore him, and he eagerly stretched out his arms to clasp him to his 
heart. This sudden movement upset the goblet, and the poi- 
sonous contents, falling upon a dog lying at the king's feet, caused 
his almost instantaneous death. Seeing her crime discovered 
and Theseus recognized, Medea quickly mounted her magic 
dragon car, and fled to Media, whence she never returned. 

One day, some time after his arrival at Athens, Theseus heard 
a sound of weeping and great lamentation throughout all the 
city, and in reply to his wondering inquiries was Tribute to the 
told, that ever since an unfortunate war between Minotaur, 
the Cretans and Athenians, the latter, who had been vanquished, 
were obliged to pay a yearly tribute of seven youths and as 
many maidens, destined to serve as food for the Minotaur. 
Further questions evolved the fact that the Minotaur was a 
hideous monster, the property of Minos, King of Crete, who 
kept it in an intricate labyrinth, constructed for that express 
purpose by Daedalus, the far-famed architect. 

" There lived and flourished long ago, in famous Athens town, 
One Daedalus, a carpenter of genius and renown ; 
(Twas he who with an augur taught mechanics how to bore, — 
An art which the philosophers monopolized before.) " 

Saxe. 

This labyrinth was so very intricate, that those who entered 
could not find their way out ; and even Daedalus Daedalus and 
and his son Icarus, after many days' attempt, found Icarus, 
they could not leave it. Rather than remain imprisoned for- 




(254) 



D^DALUS AND ICARUS. — Vien. 



THESEUS. 255 

ever, Daedalus then manufactured wings for himself and for his 
son, and determined to make use of them to effect his escape. 

"Now Daedalus, the carpenter, had made a pair of wings, 
Contrived of wood and feathers and a cunning set of springs, 
By means of which the wearer could ascend to any height, 

And sail about among the clouds as easy as a kite." 

Saxe. 

After repeated cautions to his son not to venture too high, 
lest the sun's heat should melt the wax fixing the feathers to the 
frame, Daedalus bade Icarus don his plumage and fly to a coun- 
try where they would be free, promising to follow him thither 
very shortly. 

" ' My Icarus ! ' he says ; ' I warn thee fly 
Along the middle track: nor low, nor high; 
If low, thy plumes may flag with ocean's spray; 
If high, the sun may dart his fiery ray.' " 

Ovid (Elton's tr.). 

Delighted with this new mode of travel, Icarus flew swiftly 
along. Little by little he forgot the danger and his father's cau- 
tion, and rose up higher and higher, until he could bask in the 
direct rays of the ardent sun. The heat, which seemed so grate- 
ful after his chilly flight, soon softened and melted the wax on 
his wings ; and Icarus, no longer supported by the light feathers, 
sank down faster and faster, until he fell into the sea, where he 
was drowned, and which, in memory of him, bears the name of 
Icarian to this day. 

These varied details kindled Theseus' love of adventure, and 
still further strengthened him in his sudden resolve to join the 
mournful convoy, try his strength against the awful Minotaur, 
and, if possible, save his country from further similar exactions. 

" While Attica thus groan'd, with ills opprest; 

His country's wrongs inflam'd brave Theseus' breast; 
Instant his gen'rous soul resolv'd to save 
Cecrops' great offspring from a timeless grave." 

Catullus. 



256 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Even his father's tears and entreaties were powerless to move 
him from his purpose, and, the hour having come, he embarked 
upon the black-sailed vessel which was to bear the yearly tribute 
to Crete, promising to change the black sails for snowy white 
ones if he were fortunate enough to return victorious. 

Favorable winds soon wafted the galley to distant Crete, and 
as they sailed along the coast, searching for the harbor, they were 
challenged by the brazen giant Talus, who walked 
daily thrice around the whole island, killing, by con- 
tact with his red-hot body, all who had no business to land on that 
coast. Knowing, however, that the black-sailed galley brought 
a fresh supply of youths and maidens for the terrible Minotaur, 
Talus let it pass unharmed ; and the victims were brought into 
the presence of Minos, who personally inspected each new freight- 
load, to make sure he was not being cheated by the Athenians. 

At the monarch's side stood his fair daughter Ariadne, whose 
tender heart was filled with compassion when she beheld the frail 

Ariadne's maidens and gallant youths about to perish by such 

clew. a loathsome death. Theseus, by right of his birth, 

claimed the precedence, and proffered a request to be the first 

victim, — a request which the king granted with a sardonic smile, 

ere he returned unmoved to his interrupted feast. 

Unnoticed by all, Ariadne slipped out of the palace, and, under 
cover of the darkness, entered the prison where Theseus was 
confined. There she tremblingly offered him a ball of twine and 
a sharp sword, bidding him tie one end of the twine to the en- 
trance of the labyrinth, and keep the other in his hand as a clew 
to find the way out again should the sword enable him to kill the 
dreaded Minotaur. In token of gratitude for this timely assist- 
ance, Theseus solemnly promised Ariadne to take her with him 
to Athens as his bride, were he only successful in his undertaking. 

At dawn the next day Theseus was conducted to the entrance 
of the labyrinth, and there left to await the tender mercies of the 
Minotaur. Like all heroes, he preferred to meet any danger 
rather than remain inactive: so, mindful of Ariadne's instruc- 



THESEUS. 257 

tions, he fastened his twine to the entrance, and then boldly pen- 
etrated into the intricate ways of the labyrinth, where many 
whitening bones plainly revealed the fate of all who had pre- 
ceded him. 

He had not gone very far before he encountered the Mino- 
taur, — a creature more hideous than fancy can Theseus and 
paint, — and he was obliged to use all his skill and the Minotaur- 
ingenuity to avoid falling a prey to the monster's appetite, and 
all his strength to lay him low at last. 

The Minotaur slain, Theseus hastily retraced his footsteps. 

" And the slender clew, 
Prepared in secret by th' enamor'd maid, 
Thro' the curv'd labyrinth his steps convey'd." 

Catullus. 

Arrived at the place where his ship rode at anchor, he found 
his companions and Ariadne awaiting him, and, springing on 
board, bade the sailors weigh anchor as quickly Theseus' 
as possible. They were almost out of reach of escape, 
the Cretan shores, when Talus came into view, and, perceiving 
that his master's prisoners were about to escape, leaned forward 
to catch the vessel by its rigging. Theseus, seeing this, sprang 
forward, and dealt the giant such a blow, that he lost his bal- 
ance and fell into the deep sea, where he was drowned, and 
where thermal springs still bear witness to the heat of his brazen 
body. 

The returning vessel, favored by wind and tide, made but one 
port, Naxos ; and here youths and maidens landed to view the 
beautiful island. Ariadne strayed apart, and threw Ariadne 
herself down upon the ground to rest, where, before forsaken, 
she was aware of it, sleep overtook her. Now, although very 
brave, Theseus was not very constant. He had already grown 
weary of Ariadne's love ; and, when he saw her thus asleep, he 
basely summoned his companions, embarked with them, and set 
sail, leaving her alone upon the island, where Bacchus soon 
came to console her for the loss of her faithless lover (p. 181). 




(258) 



ARIADNE.— Rae. 



THESEUS. 259 

Theseus, having committed a deed heinous in the eyes of gods 
and men, was doomed to suffer just punishment. In his preoc- 
cupation he entirely forgot his promise to change Theseus' 
the black sails for white ; and ^geus, from Atti- punishment, 
ca's rocky shore, seeing the sable sails when the vessel was yet 
far from land, immediately concluded that his son was dead, and 
in his grief cast himself into the sea since known as the ^Egean, 
where he perished. 

" As from a mountain's snowy top are driv'n 
The rolling clouds, by the rude blasts of heav'n; 
So from the mem'ry of lost Theseus fled 
Those dictates, which before his reason sway'd: 
But now his father from the ramparts' height, 
All bath'd in tears, directs his eager sight ; 
O'er the wide sea, distended by the gale, 
He spies, with dread amaze, the lurid sail." 

Catullus. 

Theseus, on entering the city, heard of his father's death ; and 
when he realized that it had been caused by his carelessness, he 
was overwhelmed with grief and remorse. All the Theseus* reign 
cares of royalty and the wise measures he intro- and marria g e - 
duced for the happiness of his people could not divert his mind 
from this terrible catastrophe : so he finally resolved to resign his 
authority and set out again in search of adventures, which might 
help him forget his woes. He therefore made an excursion into 
the land of the Amazons, where Hercules had preceded him, 
and whence he brought back Hippolyte, whom he married. 
Theseus was now very happy indeed, and soon all his hopes were 
crowned by the birth of a son, whom he called Hippolytus. 
Shortly after this joyful event, the Amazons invaded his country 
under pretext of rescuing their kidnapped queen, and in the bat- 
tle which ensued Hippolyte was accidentally wounded by an ar- 
row, and breathed her last in Theseus' arms. 

Theseus next set out with an Athenian army to fight Pirithous, 
king of the Lapithae, who had dared to declare war ; but when 



26o CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the armies were face to face, the two chiefs, seized with a sudden 
liking for each other, simultaneously cast down their weapons, 
and, falling on each other's necks, embraced, and swore an eternal 
friendship. 

To show his devotion to this newly won friend, Theseus con- 
sented to accompany him to the court of Adrastus, King of 
Centaurs and Argos, and witness his marriage to Hippodamia, 

Lapithse. daughter of the king. Many guests were, of course, 
present to witness the marriage ceremony, among others Hercules 
and a number of the Centaurs. The latter, struck with admira- 
tion for the bride's unusual beauty, made an attempt to kidnap 
her, which was frustrated by the Lapithae, seconded by Theseus 
and Hercules. The terrible struggle which ensued between the 
conflicting parties has ever been a favorite subject in art, and 
is popularly known as the " Battle between the Centaurs and 
Lapithae." 

The hotly contested bride did not, however, enjoy a very long 
life, and Pirithous soon found himself, like Theseus, a disconso- 

Theseus in l ate widower. To avoid similar bereavement in 
Hades. future, they both resolved to secure goddesses, 

who, being immortal, would share their thrones forever. Aided 
by Pirithous, Theseus carried off Helen, the daughter of Jupiter 
(p. 311), and, as she was still but a child, intrusted her to the care 
of his mother, y^Ethra, until she attained a suitable age for matri- 
mony. Then, in return for Pirithous' kind offices, he accompanied 
him to Hades, where they intended to carry off Proserpina. 

While they were thus engaged, Helen's twin brothers, Castor 
and Pollux, came to Athens, delivered her from capitivity, and 
carried her home in triumph. As for Theseus and Pirithous, 
their treacherous intention was soon discovered by Pluto, who set 
the first on an enchanted rock, from which he could not descend 
unassisted, and bound the second to the constantly revolving 
wheel of his father, Ixion. 

When Hercules was in Hades in search of Cerberus (p. 229), 
he delivered Theseus from his unpleasant position, and thus 




THESEUS.— Canova. 
( Volksgarten, Vienna.) 



(261) 



262 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

enabled him to return to his own home, where he now expected 
to spend the remainder of his life in peace. 

Although somewhat aged by this time, Theseus was still anx- 
ious to marry, and looked about him for a wife to cheer his lone- 
Phaedraand liness. Suddenly he remembered that Ariadne's 
Hippoiytus. younger sister, Phaedra, must be a charming young 
princess, and sent an embassy to obtain her hand in marriage. 
The embassy proved successful, and Phaedra came to Athens ; 
but, young and extremely beautiful, she was not at all delighted 
with her aged husband, and, instead of falling in love with him, 
bestowed all her affections upon his son, Hippoiytus, a virtuous 
youth, who Utterly refused to listen to her proposals to elope. In 
her anger at finding her advances scorned, Phsedra went to 
Theseus and accused Hippoiytus of attempting to kidnap her. 
Theseus, greatly incensed at what he deemed his son's dishon- 
orable behavior, implored Neptune to punish the youth, who 
was even then riding in his chariot close by the shore. In 
answer to this prayer, a great wave suddenly arose, dashed over 
the chariot, and drowned the young charioteer, whose lifeless 
corpse was finally flung ashore at Phaedra's feet. When the un- 
fortunate queen saw the result of her false accusations, she con- 
fessed her crime, and, in her remorse and despair, hung herself. 

As for Theseus, soured by these repeated misfortunes, he grew 
so stern and tyrannical, that he gradually alienated his people's 
Death of affections, until at last they hated him, and ban- 
Theseus. ished him to the Island of Scyros, where, in obe- 
dience to a secret order, Lycomedes, the king, treacherously slew 
him by hurling him from the top of a steep cliff into the sea. 
As usual, when too late, the Athenians repented of their in- 
gratitude, and in a fit of tardy remorse deified this hero, and 
built a magnificent temple on the Acropolis in his honor. This 
building, now used as a museum, contains many relics of Greek 
art. Theseus' bones were piously brought back, and inhumed in 
Athens, where he was long worshiped as a demigod. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

JASON. 

At Iolcus, in Thessaly, there once reigned a virtuous king, 
zEson, with his good wife, Alcimede. Their happiness, however, 
was soon disturbed by Pelias, the king's brother, who, aided by 
an armed host, took forcible possession of the throne. ^Eson 
and Alcimede, in fear of their lives, were forced to resort to a 
hasty and secret flight, taking with them their only son, Jason. 

The king and queen soon found a place of refuge, but, afraid 
lest their hiding place should be discovered and they should all 
be slain by the cruel Pelias, they intrusted their son to the Cen- 
taur Chiron, revealing to him alone the secret of the child's birth, 
and bidding him train him up to avenge their wrongs. 

Chiron discharged his duties most faithfully, trained the young 
prince with great care, and soon made him the wisest and most 
skillful of his pupils. The years spent by Jason in the diligent 
acquisition of knowledge, strength, and skill, passed very quickly ; 
and at last the time came when Chiron made known to him 
the secret of his birth, and the story of the wrongs inflicted by 
Pelias, the usurper, upon his unfortunate parents. 

This tale aroused the young prince's anger, and made him 
solemnly vow to punish his uncle, or perish in the attempt, 
Chiron encouraged him to start, and in parting jason's 
bade him remember that Pelias alone had injured vow# 

him, but that all the rest of the human race were entitled to any 
aid he could bestow. Jason listened respectfully to his tutor's 
last instructions ; then, girding his sword and putting on his san- 
dals, he set out on his journey to Iolcus. 

263 



264 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

It was early in the spring, and the young man had not gone 
very far before he came to a stream, which, owing to the usual 
freshets of the season, was almost impassable. Jason, however, 
quite undaunted by the rushing, foaming waters, was about to 
attempt the crossing, when he saw an aged woman not far from 
him, gazing in helpless despair at the waters she could not cross. 

Naturally kind-hearted and helpful, and, besides that, mindful 
of Chiron's last recommendation, Jason offered the old woman 
his assistance, proposing to carry her across on his back if she 
would but lend him her staff to lean upon. The old woman 
gladly accepted this offer ; and a few moments later, Jason, bend- 
ing beneath his strange load, was battling with the rapid current. 

After many an effort, breathless and almost exhausted, Jason 
reached the opposite bank, and, after depositing his burden there, 
scrambled up beside her, casting a rueful glance at the torrent, 
which had wrenched off one of his golden sandals. He was about 
to part from the old dame with a kindly farewell, when she was 
suddenly transformed into a large, handsome, imperious-looking 
woman, whom, owing to the peacock by her side, he immediately 
recognized as Juno, queen of heaven. He bent low before her, 
and claimed her aid and protection, which she graciously prom- 
ised ere she vanished from his sight. 

With eager steps Jason now pressed onward, nor paused until 
he came in view of his native city. As he drew near, he noticed 
an unusual concourse of people, and upon inquiry discovered 
that Pelias was celebrating a festival in honor of the immortal 
gods. Up the steep ascent leading to the temple Jason hastened, 
and pressed on to the innermost circle of spectators, until he 
stood in full view of his enemy Pelias, who, unconscious of com- 
ing evil, continued offering the sacrifice. 

At last the ceremony was completed, and the king cast an ar- 
rogant glance over the assembled people. His eyes suddenly fell 
The one upon Jason's naked foot, and he grew pale with 
sandal. horror as there flashed into his memory the rec- 
ollection of an ancient oracle, warning him to beware of the 



JASON. 265 

man who appeared before him wearing but one sandal. Pelias 
tremblingly bade the guards bring forth the uninvited stranger. 
His orders were obeyed ; and Jason, confronting his uncle boldly, 
summoned him to make a full restitution of the power he had so 
unjustly seized. 

To surrender power and wealth and return to obscurity was not 
to be thought of ; but Pelias artfully concealed his displeasure, and 
told his nephew that they would discuss the matter Phryxus and 
and come to an amicable understanding after the Heiie. 

banquet, which was already spread and awaiting their presence. 
During the festive meal, bards sang of all the heroic deeds ac- 
complished by great men ; and Pelias, by judicious flattery, stim- 
ulated Jason to attempt similar feats. At last the musicians re- 
cited the story of Phryxus and Helle, the son and daughter of 
Athamas and Nephele, who, to escape the cruel treatment of 
their stepmother, Ino (p. 174), mounted a winged, golden-fleeced 
ram sent by Neptune to transport them to Colchis. 

The ram flew over land and sea ; but Helle, frightened at the 
sight of the waves tossing far beneath her, suddenly lost her hold 
on the golden fleece, and tumbled off the ram's back into a por- 
tion of the sea since known as the Hellespont, 

"Where beauteous Helle found a watery grave." 

Meleager. 

Phryxus, more fortunate than his sister, reached Colchis in 
safety, and in gratitude to the gods sacrificed the ram they had 
sent to deliver him, and hung its golden fleece on a tree, near 
which he stationed a dragon to guard it night and day. The 
bards then went on to relate that the glittering trophy still hung 
there, awaiting a hand bold enough to slay the dragon and bear 
it off. 

This tale and his liberal potations greatly excited the youth 
Jason ; and Pelias, perceiving it, hypocritically regretted his in- 
ability to win the golden fleece, and softly insinuated that young 
men of the present generation were not brave enough to risk 



266 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

their lives in such a glorious cause. The usurper's crafty remarks 
had the desired effect ; for Jason suddenly sprang from his seat, 
The golden an d vowed he would go in quest of the golden 
fleece. fleece. Pelias, quite certain that the rash youth 

would lose his life in the attempt, and thus cause no more 
trouble, with much difficulty restrained all expressions of joy, and 
dared him to make the attempt. 

" With terror struck, lest by young Jason's hand 
His crown should be rent from him, Pelias sought 
By machinations dark to slay his foe. 
From Colchis' realm to bring the golden fleece 
He charged the youth." 

Orphic Argonautics. 

When Jason, sobered and refreshed by a long night's rest, 

perceived how foolish had been his vow, he would fain have 

The Speaking recalled it ; but, mindful of Chiron's teachings 

Oak. ever t0 b e tme t0 hjg worc i 5 h e resolved to depart 

for Colchis. To secure Juno's assistance, he began by visiting 
her shrine at Dodona, where the oracle, a Speaking Oak, assured 
him of the goddess's good will and efficacious protection. Next 
the Speaking Oak bade him cut off one of its own mighty limbs, 
and carve from it a figurehead for the swift-sailing vessel which 
Minerva, at Juno's request, would build for his use from pine 
trees grown on Mount Pelion. 

Jason, having finished his figurehead, found that it too had 

the gift of speech, and that it would occasionally vouchsafe 

The Argo and sage counsel in the direction of his affairs. When 

crew. q U j te completed, Jason called his vessel the Argo 

(swift-sailing), and speedily collected a crew of heroes as brave 

as himself, among whom were Hercules, Castor, Pollux, Peleus, 

Admetus, Theseus, and Orpheus, who were all glad to undertake 

the perilous journey to lands unknown. To speed them on their 

way, Juno then bargained with_ ^Eolus for favorable winds, and 

'forbade any tempest which might work them harm. 



JASON. 267 

"Then with a whistling breeze did Juno fill the sail, 
And Argo, self-impell'd, shot swift before the gale." 

Onomacritus (Elton's tr.). 

On several occasions the heroes landed, either to renew their 
stock of provisions or to recruit their strength, but in general 
every delay brought them some misfortune. Once Story of 
Hercules, having landed with a youth named Hyias. 

Hylas to cut wood for new oars, bade the youth go to a neigh- 
boring spring and draw a pitcher of water to quench the thirst 
produced by his exertions. The youth promptly departed ; but 
as he' bent over the fountain, the nymphs, enamored with his 
beauty, drew him down into their moist abode to keep them com- 
pany. Hercules, after vainly waiting for Hylas' return, went in 
search of him, but could find no trace of him, and, in his grief 
and disappointment at the death of his young friend, refused to 
continue the expedition, and, deserting the Argonauts, made his 
way home alone and on foot. 

On another occasion, when Jason visited Phineus, the blind 
king of Thrace, he heard that this monarch's life was imbit- 
tered by the Harpies, vile monsters, part woman, phineus and the 
part bird, who ate or befouled all the food placed Harpies, 
before him, and never let him eat a mouthful in peace. Hav- 
ing repeated this tale to his companions, the two sons of Bo- 
reas, who were also in the Argo, begged permission to drive 
them away. Jason could not refuse their request ; and the two 
youths, with drawn swords, pursued the Harpies to the Strophades 
Islands, where the birds promised to remain. 

Jason, sailing on in the mean while, was attacked by a flock 
of brazen-feathered birds, which rained their sharp plumage down 
upon the Argonauts, wounding many of them sorely. The cap- 
tain of the expedition, seeing weapons were of no avail against 
these foes, consulted the figurehead, and, in obedience to its 
directions, clashed his arms against his shield, until, terrified by 
the din, the brazen- feathered birds flew rapidly away, uttering dis- 
cordant cries of terror. 



268 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Some time during the course of their journey the Argonauts 
came to the Symplegades, — floating rocks which continually 
The crashed together, and ground to powder all ob- 

Sympiegades. j ects caU ght between them. Jason knew he was 
obliged to pass between these rocks or give up the expedition : 
so, calculating that the speed of his vessel was equal to that of a 
dove on the wing, he sent one out before him. The dove flew 
safely between the rocks, losing only one of its tail feathers as 
they again clashed together. Watching his opportunity, there- 
fore, Jason bade his men row swiftly. The Argo darted through 
the opening, and, when the rocks again came into contact, they 
merely grazed the rudder. As a vessel had passed between them 
unharmed, their power for evil left them, and they were chained 
fast to the bottom of the sea, near the mouth of the Bosporus, 
where they remained immovable like any other rocks. 

The Argonauts, after other adventures far too numerous' to 
recount in detail, reached the Colchian shores, and presented 

Arrival at themselves before ^Eetes, the king, to whom they 
Colchis. made known their errand. Loath to part with 
his golden treasure, ^Eetes declared, that, before Jason could ob- 
tain the fleece, he must catch and harness two wild, fire-breathing 
bulls dedicated to Vulcan, and make use of them to plow a stony 
piece of ground sacred to Mars. This done, he must sow the 
field with some dragon's teeth, as Cadmus had done (p. 48), con- 
quer the giants which would spring up, and, last of all, slay the 
guardian dragon, or the fleece would never be his. 

One of these tasks would have sufficed to dismay many a brave 
youth ; but Jason was of the dauntless kind, and merely has- 
Medea's tened down to his vessel to ask the figurehead 
aid - how he had better proceed. On his way to the 

seashore he met the king's daughter, Medea, a beautiful young 
sorceress, who had been charmed by his modest but firm bearing, 
and who was quite ready to bring her magic to his aid if he would 
but promise to marry her. Jason, susceptible to her attractions, 
and free from any conflicting ties, readily agreed to her proposal, 



JASON. 269 

and, carrying out her directions, caught and harnessed the fiery 
bulls, plowed the field, and sowed it with the dragon's teeth. 

" And how he yoked the bulls, whose breathings fiery glow'd, 
And with the dragons' teeth the furrow'd acres sow'd." 

Onomacritus (Elton's tr.). 

But when he saw glittering spears and helmets grow out of 
the ground, and beheld the close ranks of giants in full armor, 
he was filled with dismay, and would have fled had it been pos- 
sible. However, aware that such a performance would insure his 
ruin, he stood his ground, and, when the phalanx was quite near 
him, threw a handful of dust full in the giants' faces. Blinded 
with the sand, the giants attacked one another, and m a short 
time were exterminated. 

" They, like swift dogs, 
Ranging in fierceness, on each other turn'd 
Tumultuous battle. On their mother earth 
By their own spears they sank ; like pines, or oaks, 
Strew'd by a whirlwind in the mountain dale." 

Apollonius Rhodius (Elton's tr.). 

Accompanied by Medea, Jason next hastened to the tree 
where the dragon kept guard over his treasure. An opiate pre- 
pared by Medea's magic skill soon made the dragon The fl eeC e 
forget his charge in a profound sleep, and enabled captured. 
Jason to draw near enough to sever his frightful head from 
his hideous trunk. Jason then tore the coveted fleece from the 
branch where it had hung for many a year, and bore it in triumph 
to the Argo. 

"Exulting Jason grasped the shining hide, 
His last of labors, and his envied pride. 
Slow from the groaning branch the fleece was rent." 

Flaccus (Elton's tr.). 

His companions, who had made ready for a hasty departure, 
were already seated at their oars ; and, as soon as he had em- 
barked with Medea and her attendants, the Argo shot out of the 
Colchian harbor. 




(2 7 0) 



JASON AND THE DRAGON.— Salvator Ros 



JASON. 271 

" How softly stole from home the luckless-wedded maid, 
Through darkness of the night, in linen robe array'd ; 
By Fate to Argo led, and urged by soft desire, 
Nor yet regarding aught her father's furious ire." 

Onomacritus (Elton's tr.). 

, When morning dawned and ^Eetes awoke, he heard that the 
dragon was slain, the fleece stolen, his daughter gone, and the Gre- 
cian ship far out of sight. No time was lost in useless wailing, 
but a vessel was hurriedly launched and manned, and the king 
in person set out in pursuit of the fugitives, who had, moreover, 
taken his most precious treasure, his only son and heir, Absyrtus. 
Although the Colchian men were good sailors and skillful rowers, 
they did not catch sight of the Argo until they came near the 
mouth of the Danube, and ^Eetes wildly called to his daughter 
to return to her home and to her father. 

" 'Stay thy rash flight ! and, from the distant main, — 
For oh ! thou canst, my daughter, — turn again. 
Whither depart ? the vessel backward steer; 
Thy friends, thy still fond father, wait thee here.' " 

Flaccus (Elton's tr.). 

But Medea had no wish to be torn away from Jason's arms, 
and, instead of listening to her father's entreaties, urged the 
Argonauts to redoubled efforts. Little by little Death of 
the distance between the two vessels grew less ; Absyrtus. 
the Colchian rowers were gaining upon the Greek ; and Medea 
saw, that, unless she found means to delay her father, he would 
overtake her and compel her to return. With her own hands she 
therefore slew her little brother, Absyrtus, and cut his body into 
pieces, which she dropped over the side of the vessel one by one. 
yEetes, a helpless witness of this cruel, awful deed, piously col- 
lected his son's remains, and, in pausing to do so, lost sight of 
the Argo, and all hope of recovering his unnatural daughter : so 
he returned sadly to Colchis, where he buried his son's remains 
with due solemnity. 




(272) 



MEDEA.— Sichel. 



JASON. 273 

In the mean while, Pelias had reigned contentedly over Thes- 
saly, confident that Jason would never return. Imagine his dis- 
may, therefore, when he heard that the Argo had p e iias 
arrived, bearing Jason, now the proud possessor of dethroned, 
the renowned golden fleece. Ere he could take measures to 
maintain his usurped authority, Jason appeared, and compelled 
him to resign the throne in favor of the rightful king, /Eson. 

Unfortunately, /Eson was now so old and decrepit, that power 
had no charms for him : so Jason begged Medea to use her 
magic in his behalf, and restore him to the vigor and beauty 
of his early manhood. To gratify Jason, Medea called all her 
magic into play, and by some mysterious process restored ^Eson 
to all his former youth, strength, activity, and grace. 

" Medea's spells dispersed the weight of years, 
And iEson stood a youth 'mid youthful peers." 

Wordsworth. 

As soon as Pelias' daughters heard of this miraculous trans- 
formation, they hastened to Medea and implored her to give 
them the recipe, that they might rejuvenate their The magic 
father also. The sorceress maliciously bade them recipe, 

cut their father's body into small pieces, and boil them in a cal- 
dron w r ith certain herbs, declaring that, if the directions were care- 
fully carried out, the result would be satisfactory ; but, when the 
too credulous maidens carried out these instructions, they only 
slew the father whom they had so dearly loved. 

Days and years now passed happily and uneventfully for Jason 
and Medea ; but at last their affection for each other cooled, and 
Jason fell in love with Glauce, or Creusa. Frantic with jealousy, 
Medea prepared and sent the maiden a magic robe, which she 
no sooner donned than she was seized with terrible convulsions, 
in which she died. Medea, still full of resentment against Jason, 
then slew her own children, and, mounting her dragon car, de- 
parted, leaving a message for Jason, purporting that the Argo 
would yet cause his death. 



274 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Jason, a victim of remorse and despair, now led a weary and 
sorrowful life, and every day he wandered down to the shore, where 

Death of ne sat under the shade of the Argo's hulk, which was 
jason. slowly rotting away. One day, while he was sit- 

ting there musing over his youthful adventures and Medea's 
strange prophecy, a sudden gale detached a beam, which, falling 
on his head, fractured his skull and caused instantaneous death. 

The Argonautic expedition is emblematic of the first long mar- 
itime voyage undertaken by the Greeks for commercial purposes ; 
while the golden fleece which Jason brought back from Colchis 
is but a symbol of the untold riches they found in the East, and 
brought back to their own native land. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE CALYDONIAN HUNT. 



CEneus and Althaea, King and Queen of Calydon, in ^Etolia, 
were very happy in the possession of a little son, Meleager, only a 
few days old, until they heard that the Fates had de- B irth of 
creed the child should live only as long as the brand Meleager. 
then smoking and crackling on the hearth. The parents were mo- 
tionless with grief, until Althaea, with true mother's wit, snatched 
the brand from the fire, plunged it into an earthen jar filled with 
water, quenched the flames which were consuming it, and, care- 
fully laying it aside, announced her intention to keep it forever. 

Meleager, thus saved from an untimely death by his mother's 
presence of mind, grew up a brave and handsome youth, and 
joined the Argonautic expedition. While he was absent, his 
father omitted the yearly sacrifice to Diana, who, enraged at his 
neglect, sent a monstrous boar to devour his subjects and devas- 
tate his realm. Meleager, on his return, gathered together all 
the brave men of the country, and instituted a great hunt, whose 
main object was the capture or death of the obnoxious boar. 

Jason, Nestor, Peleus, Admetus, Theseus, Pirithous, and many 
other noted heroes, came at his call ; but the attention of all the 
spectators was specially attracted by Castor and The 

Pollux, and by the fair Atalanta, daughter of Iasius, hunters. 
King of Arcadia. This princess had led a very adventurous 
life; for when but a babe, her father, disappointed to see a 
daughter instead of the longed-for son, had exposed her on 
Mount Parthenium to the fury of the wild beasts. Some hunters, 



276 CLASSICAL MYTHS, 

passing there shortly after this, found the babe fearlessly nursing 
from a she-bear, and in compassion carried her home, where they 
trained her to love the chase. 

The grand Calydonian Hunt was headed by Meleager and 
Atalanta, who were very fond of each other, and who boldly led 
the rest in pursuit of the boar. From one end of the Calydonian 
forest to the other the boar fled, closely pursued by the hunt, and 
was at last brought to bay by Atalanta, who succeeded in dealing 
him a mortal wound. But even in his dying struggles the boar 
would have killed her, had not Meleager come to her rescue and 
given him his deathblow. 

All the hunt now gathered around the boar's corpse, and 
watched Meleager take its spoil, which he gallantly bestowed 
Meleager slays upon Atalanta. Althaea's two brothers were pres- 

his uncles. ent at ^q hunt ; and, as they wished to possess the 
skin, they bitterly reproved their nephew on their way home for 
giving it to a stranger. They added taunts to this reproof, which 
so angered Meleager, that, in a sudden fit of passion, he slew 
them both. When Althaea saw her brothers' corpses, and heard 
that they had been slain by her son, she vowed to avenge their 
death, drew the carefully cherished brand from its hiding place, 
and threw it upon the fire burning brightly on her hearth. When 
the last bit of the precious wood crumbled away into ashes, 
Meleager died. All Althaea's affection for her son returned when 
his lifeless corpse was brought to her, and in her despair she com- 
mitted suicide. 

In the mean while, Atalanta, proud of her skill and of her 
spoil, had returned to her father's court, where, no other heir 

Ataianta's having appeared, she was joyfully received, and 
race. entreated to marry. Many suitors came to woo 

the fair princess, but most of them refrained from pressing their 
suit when they heard what conditions were imposed upon all who 
would obtain her hand ; for Atalanta disapproved of marriage, 
and, anxious to keep her freedom, decreed that she should marry 
only on condition that her suitor would beat her in a foot race. 




(277) 



278 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

If he were beaten, however, he must pay for his defeat by for- 
feiting his life. 

In spite of these barbarous terms, a few youths had tried to 
outrun her ; but they failed, and their lifeless heads were exposed 

The golden on the racing ground to deter all other suitors. Un- 
appies. daunted by these ghastly trophies, Hippomenes, or 

Milanion, once came to Atalanta and expressed a desire to race 
with her. This youth had previously obtained Venus' protection, 
and concealed under his garment her gift of three golden apples. 
Atalanta prepared for her race as usual, and, as usual, passed her 
rival ; but just as she did so, one of the golden apples rolled at 
her feet. For a moment she paused, then stooped and picked it 
up ere she resumed the race. Her adversary had passed her and 
won some advance ; but she soon overtook him, when a second 
golden apple caused a second delay. She was about to reach 
the goal first, as usual, when a third golden treasure tempted her 
to pause, anal enabled Hippomenes to win the race. 

" Hippomenes turns her astray 
By the golden illusions he flings on her way." 

Moore. 

Atalanta could now no longer refuse to marry, and her nup- 
tials were soon celebrated. In his happiness at having won such 
a peerless bride, Hippomenes forgot to pay the promised thanks 
to Venus, for which offense he and his wife were severely pun- 
ished by being transformed into a pair of lions, and doomed to 
drag Cybele's car (p. 19). 

The twin brothers Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, or Gemini, 
Castor and wno had greatly distinguished themselves by their 
Pollux. daring in the Calydonian Hunt, were made the 

deities of boxing, wrestling, and all equestrian exercises. 

" Leda's sons I'll sound, 
Illustrious twins, that are 
For wrestling this, and for the race renown'd." 

Horace. 



THE CALYDONIAN HUNT. 279 

One of these twins, Castor, was a mortal, and in a combat 
with the sons of Aphareus was slain. Pollux, who was immortal, 
then implored Jupiter to allow him to die also, that he might not 
be parted from his brother, — a proof of brotherly affection which 
so touched the father of the gods, that he permitted Castor 
to return to life on condition that Pollux would spend half his 
time in Hades. 

Later on, satisfied that even this sacrifice was none too great for 
their fraternal love, he translated them both to the skies, where 
they form a bright constellation, one of the signs of the zodiac. 
Castor and Pollux are generally represented as handsome youths, 
mounted on snowy chargers. 

" So like they were, no mortal 
• Might one from other know : 
White as snow their armor was: 
Their steeds were white as snow." 

Macaulay. 

Their appearance under certain circumstances foretold success 
in war, and the Romans believed that they fought at the head 
of their legions at the celebrated battle of Lake Regillus. Their 
name was also given to meteors, sometimes seen at sea, which at- 
tach themselves like balls of fire to the masts of ships, —a sure 
sign, according to the sailors, of fine weather and an auspicious 
journey. 

" Safe comes the ship to haven, 

Through billows and through gales, 
If once the Great Twin Brethren 
Sit shining on the sails." 

Macaulay. 

Festivals celebrated in honor of these twin brethren, and 
called the Dioscuria, were held in many places, but specially in 
Sparta, their birthplace, where they had world-renowned wres- 
tling matches. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



CEDIPUS. 



*3 



Laius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes, in Bceotia, were 
greatly delighted at the birth of a little son. In their joy they sent 
for the priests of Apollo, and bade them foretell the glorious deeds 
their heir would perform ; but all their joy was turned to grief 
when told that the child was destined to kill his father, marry his 
mother, and bring great misfortunes upon his native city. 

" Laius once, 
Not from Apollo, but his priests, receiv'd 
An oracle, which said, it was decreed 
He should be slain by his own son." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Jo prevent the fulfillment of this dreadful prophecy, Laius 
bade a servant carry the new-born child out of the city, and end 
its feeble little life. The king's mandate was obeyed only in 
part ; for the servant, instead of killing the child, hung it up by its 
ankles to a tree in a remote place, and left it there to perish from 
hunger and exposure if it were spared by the wild beasts. 

When he returned, none questioned how he had performed the 
appointed task, but all sighed with relief to think that the prophecy 
could never be accomplished. The child, however, was not 
dead, as all supposed. A shepherd in quest of a stray lamb had 
heard his cries, delivered him from his painful position, and car- 
ried him to Polybus, King of Corinth, \ vho, lacking an heir of 
his own, gladly adopted the little stranger. The Queen of 
Corinth and her handmaidens hastened with tender concern to 

280 



(EDI PUS. 281 

bathe the swollen ankles, and called the babe CEdipus (swollen- 
footed). 

Years passed by. The young prince grew up in total ignorance 
of the unfortunate circumstances under which he had made his 
first appearance at court, until one day at a banquet one of his 
companions, heated by drink, began to quarrel with him, and 
taunted him about his origin, declaring that those whom he had 
been accustomed to call parents were in no way related to him. 

" A drunken rev'ler at a feast proclaim'd 
That I was only the supposed son 
Of Corinth's king." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

These words, coupled with a few meaning glances hastily ex- 
changed by the guests, excited CEdipus' suspicions, and made 
him question the queen, who, afraid lest he might 
do himself an injury in the first moment of his de- consults the 
spair if the truth were revealed to him, had recourse 
to prevarication, and quieted him by the assurance that he was 
her beloved son. 

Something in her manner, however, left a lingering doubt in 
CEdipus' mind, and made him resolve to consult the oracle of 
Delphi, whose words he knew would reveal the exact truth. He 
therefore went to this shrine ; but, as usual, the oracle answered 
somewhat ambiguously, and merely warned him that fate had de- 
creed he should kill his father, marry his mother, and cause great 

woes to his native city. 

"I felt 
A secret anguish, and unknown to them 
Sought out the Pythian oracle; in vain ; 
Touching my parents, nothing could I learn; 
But dreadful were the mis'ries it denounc'd 
Against me ; 'twas my fate, Apollo said, 
To wed my mother, to produce a race 
Accursed and abhorr'd ; and last, to slay 
My father." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 



282 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

What ! kill Polybus, who had ever been such an indulgent 
father, and marry the queen, whom he revered as his mother! 
cEdipus leaves Never ! Rather than perpetrate these awful crimes, 
Corinth. anc j Dr i n g destruction upon the people of Corinth, 
whom he loved, he would wander away over the face of the 
earth, and never see city or parents again. 

" Lest 1 should e'er fulfill the dire prediction, 
Instant I fled from Corinth, by the stars 
Guiding my hapless journey." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

But his heart was filled with intense bitterness, and as he jour- 
neyed he did not cease to curse the fate which drove him away 
from home. After some time, he came to three crossroads ; and 
while he stood there, deliberating which direction to take, a 
chariot, wherein an aged man was seated, came rapidly toward 
him. 

The herald who preceded it haughtily called to the youth to 
stand aside and make way for his master ; but CEdipus, who, as 

Death of Polybus' heir, was accustomed to be treated with 
Lams. deference, resented the commanding tone, and re- 

fused to obey. Incensed at what seemed unparalleled impu- 
dence, the herald struck the youth, who, retaliating, stretched 
his assailant lifeless at his feet. 

This affray attracted the attention of the master and other ser- 
vants. They immediately attacked the murderer, who slew them 
all, thus unconsciously accomplishing the first part of the proph- 
ecy ; for the aged man was Laius, his father, journeying in- 
cognito from Thebes to Delphi, where he wished to consult the 
oracle. 

CEdipus then leisurely pursued his way until he came to the 
gates of Thebes, where he found the whole city in an uproar, 
" because the king had been found lifeless by the roadside, with 
all his attendants slain beside him, presumably the work of a band 
of highway robbers or assassins." 



(EDI PUS. 283 

" He fell 
By strangers, murdered, for so fame reports, 
By robbers in the place where three ways meet." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Of course, CEdipus did not connect the murder of such a great 
personage as the King of Thebes by an unknown band of rob- 
bers, with the death he had dealt to an arrogant old man, and 
he therefore composedly inquired what the second calamity al- 
luded to might be. 

With lowered voices, as if afraid of being overheard, the The- 
bans described the woman's head, bird's wings and claws, and 
lion's body, which were the outward presentment The 

of a terrible monster called the Sphinx, which had Sphinx, 
taken up its station without the city gates beside the highway, 
and would allow none to pass in or out without propounding 
a difficult riddle. Then, if any hesitated to give the required 
answer, or failed to give it correctly, they were mercilessly de- 
voured by the terrible Sphinx, which no one dared attack or 
could drive away. 

While listening to these tidings, CEdipus saw a herald pass 
along the street, proclaiming that the throne and the queen's 
hand would be the reward of any man who dared encounter the 
Sphinx, and was fortunate enough to free the country of its terrible 
presence. 

As CEdipus attached no special value to the life made deso- 
late by the oracle's predictions, he resolved to slay the dreaded 
monster, and, with that purpose in view, advanced The 

slowly, sword in hand, along the road where lurked riddle, 

the Sphinx. He soon found the monster, which from afar pro- 
pounded the following enigma, warning him, at the same time, that 
he forfeited his life if he failed to give the right answer: — 

Tell me, what animal is that 

Which has four feet at morning bright, 

Has two at noon, and three at night ? " 

Prior. 




(z8 4 ) 



CEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX.— Ingres. 
( Louvre, Paris.) 



(ED I PUS. 285 

CEdipus was not devoid of intelligence, by any manner of 
means, and soon concluded that the animal could only be man, 
who in infancy, when too weak to stand, creeps along on hands 
and knees, in manhood walks erect, and in old age supports his 
tottering steps with a staff. 

This reply, evidently as correct as unexpected, was received 
by the Sphinx with a hoarse cry of disappointment and rage as it 
turned to fly ; but ere it could effect its purpose, CEdipus marries 
it was stayed by CEdipus, who drove it at his hls mother - 
sword's point over the edge of a neighboring precipice, where 
it was killed. On his return to the city, CEdipus was received 
with cries of joy, placed on a chariot, crowned King of Thebes, 
and married to his own mother, Jocasta, unwittingly fulfilling the 
second fearful clause of the prophecy. 

A number of happy and moderately uneventful years now 
passed by, and CEdipus became the father of two manly sons, 
Eteocles and Polynices, and two beautiful daughters, Ismene and 
Antigone ; but prosperity was not doomed to favor him long. 
^~Just when he fancied himself most happy, and looked forward 
to a peaceful old age, a terrible scourge visited Thebes, causing 
the death of many faithful subjects, and filling the The 

hearts of all with great terror. The people now plague, 

turned to him, beseeching him to aid them, as he had done once 
before when threatened by the Sphinx ; and CEdipus sent mes- 
sengers to consult the Delphic oracle, who declared the plague 
would cease only when the former king's murderers had been 
found and punished. 

"The plague, he said, should cease, 
When those who murder'd Laius were discover'd, 
And paid the forfeit of their crime by death, 
Or banishment." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Messengers were sent in every direction to collect all possible 
information about the murder committed so long ago, and after 
a short time they brought unmistakable proofs which convicted 



286 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

CEdipus of the crime. At the same time the guilty servant con- 
fessed that he had not killed the child, but had exposed it on a 
mountain, whence it was carried to Corinth's king. 

The chain of evidence was complete, and now (Edipus discov- 
ered that he had involuntarily been guilty of the three crimes to 

Death of avoid which he had fled from Corinth. The rumor 
jocasta. f these dreadful discoveries soon reached Jocasta, 
who, in her despair at finding herself an accomplice, committed 
suicide. 

CEdipus, apprised of her intention, rushed into her apartment 
too late to prevent its being carried out, and found her lifeless. 
This sight was more than the poor monarch could bear, and in 
his despair he blinded himself with one of her ornaments. 

" He pluck'd from off the robe she wore 
A golden buckle that adorn'd her side, 
And buried in his eyes the sharpen'd point, 
Crying, he ne'er again would look on her, 
Never would see his crimes or mis'ries more, 
Or those whom guiltless he could ne'er behold, 
Or those to whom he now must sue for aid." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.)- 

Penniless, blind, and on foot, he then left the scene of his 
awful crimes, accompanied by his daughter Antigone, the only 

Death of one wno loved him still, and who was ready to 

CEdipus. guide his uncertain footsteps wherever he wished 
to go. After many days of weary wandering, father and daugh- 
ter reached Colonus, where grew a mighty forest sacred to the 
avenging deities, the Furies, or Eumenides. 

Here CEdipus expressed his desire to remain, and, after bidding 
his faithful daughter an affectionate farewell, he groped his way 
into the dark forest alone. The wind rose, the lightning flashed, 
the thunder pealed ; but although, as soon as the storm was over, 
a search was made for CEdipus, no trace of him was ever found, 
and the ancients fancied that the Furies had dragged him down 
to Hades to receive the punishment of all his crimes. 



(ED IP US. 287 

Antigone, no longer needed by her unhappy father, slowly 
wended her way back to Thebes, where she found that the plague 
had ceased, but that her brothers had quarreled Eteocies and 
about the succession to the throne. A compromise Poiynices. 
was finally decided upon, whereby it was decreed that Eteocies, 
the elder son, should reign one year, and at the end of that 
period resign the throne to Poiynices for an equal space of time, 
both brothers thus exercising the royal authority in turn. This 
arrangement seemed satisfactory to Eteocies ; but when, at the 
end of the first year, Poiynices returned from his travels in for- 
eign lands to claim the scepter, Eteocies refused to relinquish 
it, and, making use of his power, drove the claimant away. 

" Thou seest me banish'd from my native land, 
Unjustly banish'd, for no other crime 
But that I strove to keep the throne of Thebes, 
By birthright mine, from him who drove me thence, 
The young Eteocies: not his the claim 
By justice, nor to me his fame in arms 
Superior ; but by soft, persuasive arts 
He won the rebel city to his love." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Poiynices' nature was not one to endure such a slight patiently ; 
and he hastened off to Argos, where he, persuaded Adrastus, the 
king, to give him his daughter in marriage, and aid The'seven chiefs 
him to recover his inheritance. True to his prom- before Thebes. 
ise, Adrastus soon equipped a large army, which was led by 
seven determined and renowned chiefs, ready to risk all in the 
attempt, and either win or perish. 

" Seven valiant leaders march 
To Thebes, resolved to conquer or to die." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Their bravery was of no avail, however, for Thebes was well 
fortified and defended ; and after a seven-years' siege they found 
themselves no nearer their goal than at the beginning of the war. 
Weary of the monotony of this quarrel, the conflicting armies 



288 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

finally decreed that the difference should be settled by a duel 
between the inimical brothers, who no sooner found themselves 
face to face, than they rushed upon each other with such ani- 
mosity that both fell. 

By order of Jocasta's father, Creon, the corpse of Eteocles re- 
ceived all the honors of a Greek burial, while that of Polynices 
was left on the plain, a prey to the birds and wild beasts. 

" Polynices' wretched carcass lies 
Unburied, unlamented, left expos'd 
A feast for hungry vultures on the plain." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Then a proclamation was issued, that, if any dared bury the 
body of the fallen prince, he would incur the penalty of being 
Antigone's buried alive. Heedless of this injunction and 
devotion. Ismene's prayers to refrain from endangering her 
own life, Antigone dug a grave for her brother's remains, and, 
unaided, fulfilled the various customary funeral rites. Her task 
was almost completed, when the guards discovered her, and 
dragged her into the presence of Creon, who, although she was a 
relative and the promised wife of his son Haemon, condemned 
her to death. 

" Let her be carried instant to the cave, 
And leave her there alone, to live, or die ; 
Her blood rests not on us : but she no longer 
Shall breathe on earth." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Haemon pleaded passionately for her life ; but, when he saw 
his prayers were vain, he ran to the place where Antigone was 
Antigone and confined, sprang into her narrow cell, wound his 
Haemon. arms closely around her, and refused to leave her. 
There they were walled in ; Antigone's sufferings were cut mer- 
cifully short by asphyxiation ; and, when Haemon saw she was 
no more, he, in utter despair, thrust his dagger into his side, and 
perished too. 




ANTIGONE AND ISMENE.— Teschendorf. 



(289) 



290 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" On himself bent all his wrath, 
Full in his side the weapon fix'd, but still, 
Whilst life remain'd, on the soft bosom hung 
Of the dear maid, and his last spirit breath'd 
O'er her pale cheek, discolor'd with his blood. 
Thus lay the wretched pair in death united, 
And celebrate their nuptials in the tomb." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.), 

Ismene, the last of CEdipus' unfortunate race, died of grief, 
and thus the prophecy was fully accomplished. The Theban 
war was not, however, entirely ended, for, when both brothers fell, 
the two armies flew to attack each other; and such was their 
courage, that many fell, and only one of the seven chiefs returned 
to Argos. There he patiently waited until the children of these 
brave captains were old enough to bear arms, and then proposed 
to them to attack Thebes and avenge their fathers' death. 

The Epigoni (or those who come after), as these youths are 
collectively designated, received this proposal with rapture ; and 
Thebes, again besieged, fell into their hands, and was duly sacked, 
burned, and destroyed, as the Delphic oracle had foretold so 
many years before. 

' / 



CHAPTER XXV. 

BELLEROPHON. 

Bellerophon, a brave young prince, the grandson of Sisyphus, 
King of Corinth, had the great misfortune to kill his own brother 
while hunting in the forest. His grief was, of course, intense ; 
and the horror he felt for the place where the catastrophe had 
occurred, added to his fear lest he should incur judicial punish- 
ment for his involuntary crime, made him flee to the court of 
Argos, where he took refuge with Prcetus, the king, who was 
also his kinsman. 

He had not sojourned there very long, before Anteia, the 
queen, fell in love with him ; and although her husband, Prcetus, 
treated her with the utmost kindness, she made Anteia's 
up her mind to desert him, and tried to induce treachery, 
Bellerophon to elope with her. Too honest to betray a man who 
had treated him as a friend, the young prince refused to listen to 
the queen's proposals. His refusal was to cost him dear, how- 
ever ; for, when Anteia saw that the youth would never yield to 
her wishes, she became very angry indeed, sought her husband, 
and accused the young stranger of crimes he had never even 
dreamed of committing. 

Prcetus, indignant at what he deemed deep treachery on the 
part of an honored guest, yet reluctant to punish him with his 
own hand as he deserved, sent Bellerophon to Iobates, King of 
Lycia, with a sealed message bidding him put the bearer to 
death. 

Quite unconscious of the purport of this letter, Bellerophon 
traveled gayly onward, and presented himself before Iobates, who 

291 



292 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

received him very hospitably, and, without inquiring his name or 
errand, entertained him royally for many days. After some time, 
Bellerophon suddenly remembered the sealed message intrusted 
to his care, and hastened to deliver it to Iobates, with many 
apologies for his forgetfulness. 

With blanched cheeks and every outward sign of horror, the 

king read the missive, and then fell into a deep reverie. He did 

The not like to take a stranger's life, and still could 

chimaera. not re f use t comply with Prcetus' urgent request : 
so, after much thought, he decided to send Bellerophon to attack 
the Chimaera, a terrible monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, 
and a dragon's tail. 

"Dire Chimsera's conquest was enjoin'd; 
A mingled monster, of no mortal kind ; 
Behind, a dragon's fiery tail was spread ; 
A goat's rough body bore a lion's head ; 
Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire ; 
Her gaping throat emits infernal fire." 

Homer (Pope's tr.). 

His principal motive in choosing this difficult task was, that, 
although many brave men had set forth to slay the monster, none 
had ever returned, for one and all had perished in the attempt. 
Although very courageous, Bellerophon's heart beat fast with 
fear when told what great deed he must accomplish ; and he left 
Iobates' palace very sorrowfully, for he dearly loved the king's 
fair daughter, Philonoe, and was afraid he would never see her 
again. 

While thus inwardly bewailing the ill luck which had so per- 
sistently dogged his footsteps, Bellerophon suddenly saw Mi- 
Minerva's nerva appear before him in all her splendor, and 
advice. heard her inquire in gentle tones the cause of his 

too evident dejection. He had no sooner apprised her of the 
difficult task appointed him, than she promised him her aid, and 
before she vanished gave him a beautiful golden bridle, which 
she bade him use to control Pegasus. 




( 2 93) 



294 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Bridle in hand, Bellerophon stood pondering her words, and 
gradually remembered that Pegasus was a wonderful winged 
steed, born from the blood which fell into the foam of the sea 
from Medusa's severed head (p. 244). This horse, as white as snow, 
and gifted with immortal life as well as incredible speed, was the 
favorite mount of Apollo and the Muses, who delighted in taking 
aerial flights on his broad back ; and Bellerophon knew that from 
time to time he came down to earth to drink of the cool waters 
of the Hippocrene (a fountain which had bubbled forth where 
his hoofs first touched the earth), or to visit the equally limpid 
spring of Pirene, near Corinth. 

Bellerophon now proceeded to the latter fountain, where, after 
lingering many days in the vain hope of catching even a glimpse 
Pegasus °f tne winged steed, he finally beheld him sailing 
bndied. downward in wide curves, like a bird of prey. 
From his place of concealment in a neighboring thicket, Beller- 
ophon watched his opportunity, and, while the winged steed was 
grazing, he boldly vaulted upon his back. 

Pegasus, who had never before been ridden by a mortal, reared 
and pranced, and flew up to dizzy heights ; but all his efforts 
failed to unseat the brave rider, who, biding his time, finally 
thrust Minerva's golden bit between his teeth, and immediately 
he became gentle and tractable. Mounted upon this incom- 
parable steed, Bellerophon now went in search of the winged 
monster Chimsera, who had given birth to the Nemean lion and 
to the riddle-loving Sphinx. 

From an unclouded sky Bellerophon and Pegasus swooped 
suddenly and unexpectedly down upon the terrible Chimsera, 

Chimera whose fiery breath and great strength were of no 
slam. avail ; for after a protracted struggle Bellerophon 

and Pegasus were victorious, and the monster lay lifeless upon 
the blood-soaked ground. 

This mighty deed of valor accomplished, Bellerophon returned 
to Iobates, to report the success of his undertaking ; and, although 
the king was heartily glad to know the Chimsera was no more, 



BELLEROPHON. 295 

he was very sorry to see Bellerophon safe and sound, and tried 
to devise some other plan to get rid of him. 

He therefore sent him to fight the Amazons ; but the hero, 
aided by the gods, defeated these warlike women also, and re- 
turned to Lycia, where, after escaping from an ambush posted 
by the king for his destruction, he again appeared victorious at 
court. 

These repeated and narrow escapes from certain death con- 
vinced Iobates that the youth was under the special protection 
of the gods ; and this induced the king not only to forego further 
attempts to slay him, but also to bestow upon the young hero his 
daughter's hand in marriage. 

Bellerophon, having now attained his dearest wishes, might 
have settled down in peace ; but his head had been utterly turned 
by the many lofty flights he had taken upon Peg- Beiierophon's 
asus' back, and, encouraged by the fulsome flat- fal1 - 

tery of his courtiers, he finally fancied himself the equal of the 
immortal gods, and wished to join them in their celestial abode. 

Summoning his faithful Pegasus once more, he rose higher 
and higher, and would probably have reached Olympus' heights, 
had not Jupiter sent a gadfly, which stung poor Pegasus so cruelly, 
that he shied viciously, and flung his too confident rider far down 
to the earth below. 

"Bold Bellerophon (so Jove decreed 
In wrath) fell headlong from the fields of air." 

Wordsworth. 

This fall, which would doubtless have killed any one but a 
mythological hero, merely deprived Bellerophon of his eyesight ; 
and ever after he groped his way disconsolately, thinking of the 
happy days when he rode along the paths of air, and gazed upon 
the beautiful earth at his feet. 

Bellerophon, mounted upon Pegasus, winging his flight through 
the air or fighting the Chimaera, is a favorite subject in sculpture 
and painting, which has frequently been treated by ancient artists, 



296 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

a few of whose most noted works are still extant in various 
museums.^ 

This story, like many others, is merely a sun myth, in which 
Bellerophon, the orb of day, rides across the sky on Pegasus, 
the fleecy white clouds, and slays Chimaera, the dread monster 
of darkness, which he alone can overcome. Driven from home 
early in life, Bellerophon wanders throughout the world like his 
brilliant prototype, and, like it, ends his career in total darkness. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

MINOR DIVINITIES. 

According to the ancients' belief, every mountain, valley, 
plain, lake, river, grove, and sea was provided with some lesser 
deity, whose special duty was assigned by the pow- Naiades and 
erful gods of Olympus. These were, for instance, Oreades. 
the Naiades, beautiful water nymphs, who dwelt in the limpid 
depths of the fountains, and were considered local patrons of 
poetry and song. 

The Oreades, or mountain nymphs, were supposed to linger in 
the mountain solitudes, and guide weary travelers safely through 
their rocky mazes. 

" Mark how the climbing Oreads 
Beckon thee to their Arcades ! " 

Emerson. 

As for the Napaese, they preferred to linger in the valleys, which 
were kept green and fruitful by their watchful Napa^and 
care, in which task they were ably seconded by Dryades. 
the Dryades, the nymphs of vegetation. 

The very trees in the forest and along the roadside were sup- 
posed to be each under the protection of a special divinity called 
Hamadryad, said to live and die with the tree intrusted to her 

care. 

"When the Fate of Death is drawing near, 
First wither on the earth the beauteous trees, 
The bark around them wastes, the branches fall, 
And the nymph's soul, at the same moment, leaves 
The sun's fair light." 

Homer. 
297 



298 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

A sweet and touching story was told by the ancients of a 
mortal who was changed into a Hamadryad. This young girl, 
story of whose name was Dryope, was a beautiful young 
Dryope. princess, the daughter of Baucis, so bright and 
clever, that all who knew her loved her dearly. Of course, as 
soon as she was old enough to think of marriage, a host of suit- 
ors asked her hand, each eager to win for his bride one so beau- 
tiful and gifted. 

" No nymph of all (Echalia could compare, 
For beauteous form, with Dryope the fair." 

Ovid (Pope's tr.) 

Fully aware of the importance of making a wise choice, Dryope 
took her time, and finally decided to marry Andraemon, a worthy 
young prince, who possessed every charm calculated to win a 
fair girl's heart. The young people were duly married, and daily 
rejoiced in their happiness, which seemed almost too great for 
earth, when they became the parents of a charming little son. 

Every day Dryope carried the child along the banks of a 
little lake close by the palace, where bloomed a profusion of gay- 
colored flowers. 

" A lake there was, with shelving banks around, 
Whose verdant summit fragrant myrtles crown'd. 
Those shades, unknowing of the Fates, she sought, 
And to the Naiads flowery garlands brought ; 
Her smiling babe (a pleasing charge) she press'd 
Between her arms." 

Ovid (Pope's tr.). 

One day, while wandering there as usual, accompanied by her 
sister, she saw a lotus blossom, and pointed it out to her little 
son. He no sooner saw the brilliant flower, than he stretched 
out his little hands. To please him, the fond mother plucked it 
and gave it to him. 

She had scarcely done so, when she noticed drops of blood 
trickling from the broken stem ; and while she stood there, speech- 



MINOR DIVINITIES. 299 

less with wonder, a voice was heard accusing her of having slain 
Lotis, a nymph, who, to escape the pursuit of Priapus, god of 
the shade, had assumed the guise of a flower. 

" Lotis the nymph (if rural tales be true), 
As from Priapus' lawless love she flew, 
Forsook her form ; and fixing here became 
A flowery plant, which still preserves her name." 

Ovid (Pope's tr.). 

Recovering from her first speechless terror, Dryope turned to 
flee, with a pitiful cry of compassion on her pale lips, but, to her 
astonishment, she could not leave, the spot : her feet seemed rooted 
to the ground. She cast a rapid glance downward to ascertain 
what could so impede her progress, and noticed the rough bark 
of a tree growing with fearful rapidity all around her. 

Higher and higher it rose, from her knees to her waist, and 
still it crept upward, in spite of her frantic attempts to tear it 
away from her shapely limbs. In despair she raised her trem- 
bling hands and arms to heaven to implore aid ; but, ere the words 
were spoken, her arms were transformed into twisted branches, 
and her hands were filled with leaves. 

Nothing human now remained of poor Dryope except her sweet, 
tear-stained face ; but this too would soon vanish under the all- 
involving bark. She therefore took hasty leave of her father, 
sister, husband, and son, who, attracted by her' first cry, had rushed 
to give her all the assistance in their power. The last words 
were quickly spoken, but none too soon, for the bark closed over 
the soft lips and hid the lovely features from view. 

" She ceased at once to speak, and ceased to be, 
And all the nymph was lost within the tree : 
Yet latent life through her new branches reign'd, 
And long the plant a human heat retain'd." 

Ovid (Pope's tr.). 

One of Dryope's last requests had been that her child might 
often play beneath her shady branches ; and when the passing 



300 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

winds rustled through her leaves, the ancients said it was 
" Dryope's lone lulling of her child." 

The male divinities of the woods, which were also very nu- 
merous, were mostly Satyrs, — curious beings with a man's body 
and a goat's legs, hair, and horns. They were 
'all passionately fond of music and revelry, and 
were wont to indulge in dancing at all times and in all places. 
The most famous among all the Satyrs was Silenus, Bacchus' 
tutor ; and Pan, or Consentes, god of the shepherds, and the per- 
sonification of nature. The latter was the reputed son of Mercury 
and a charming young nymph named Penelope ; and we are 
told, that, when his mother first beheld him, she was aghast, for 
he was the most homely as well as the most extraordinary little 
creature she had ever seen. His body was all covered with 
goat's hair, and his feet and ears were also those of a goat. 

Amused at the sight of this grotesque little divinity, Mercury 
carried him off to Olympus, where all the gods turned him into 
ridicule. Pan was widely worshiped in olden times, however ; 
and the ancients not only decked his altars with flowers, but sang 
his praises, and celebrated festivals in his honor. 

"He is great and he is just, 
He is ever good, and must 
Be honored. Daffodillies, 
Roses, pinks, and loved lilies, 
Let us fling, while we sing, 
Ever Holy ! Ever Holy ! 
Ever honored ! Ever young ! 
The great Pan is ever sung ! " 

Beaumont and Fletcher. 

Pan was equally devoted to music, the dance, and pretty nymphs. 

He saw one of the nymphs, Syrinx, whom he immediately 

story loved ; but unfortunately for him, she, frightened 

of Syrinx. at ^is appearance, fled. Exasperated by her per- 
sistent avoidance of him, Pan once pursued and was about to 
overtake her, when she paused, and implored Gaea to protect her. 



MINOR DIVINITIES. 301 

The prayer was scarcely ended, when she found herself changed 
into a clump of reeds, which the panting lover embraced, think- 
ing he had caught the maiden, who had stood in that very spot 
a few moments before. 

His deception and disappointment were so severe, that they 
wrung from him a prolonged sigh, which, passing through the 
rustling reeds, produced plaintive tones. Pan, seeing Syrinx had 
gone forever, took seven pieces of the reed, of unequal lengths, 
bound them together, and fashioned from them a musical instru- 
ment, which was called by the name of the fair nymph. 

" Fair, trembling Syrinx fled 
Arcadian Pan, with such a fearful dread. 
Poor nymph ! — poor Pan ! — how he did weep to find 
Naught but a lovely sighing of the wind 
Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain 
Full of sweet desolation — balmy pain." 

Keats. 

Pan was supposed to delight in slyly overtaking belated trav- 
elers and inspiring them with sudden and unfounded fears, — from 
him called " panic." He is generally represented with a syrinx and 
shepherd's crook, and a pine garland around his misshapen head. 

The Romans also worshiped three other divinities of nature 
entirely unknown to the Greeks ; i.e., Silvanus, Faunus, and 
Fauna, the latter's wife, who had charge over the 
woods and plants. Priapus, god of the shade, ' 
was also a rural deity, but his worship was only known along 
the shores of the Hellespont. 

The fairest among all the lesser gods was doubtless Flora, 
goddess of flowers, who married Zephyrus, the gentle god of the 
south wind, and wandered happily with him from Flora and 
place to place, scattering her favors with lavish zephyrus. 
generosity. She was principally worshiped by young girls, and 
the only offerings ever seen on her altars were fruits and garlands 
of beautiful flowers. Her festivals, generally celebrated in the 
month of May, were called the Floralia. 




( 3 02) 



"A FAVORABLE OPPORTUNITY. "-Thumann. 
(Vertumnus and Pomona.) 



MINOR DIVINITIES. 303 

"Crowds of nymphs, 
Soft voiced, and young, and gay, 
In woven baskets bringing ears of corn, 
Roses and pinks and violets to adorn 
The shrine of Flora in her early May." 

Keats. 

Vertumnus and Pomona were the special divinities of the gar- 
den and orchard. They are represented with pruning knives and 
shears, gardening implements, and fruits and flow- vertumnus and 
ers. Pomona was very coy indeed, and had no Pomona, 
desire to marry. Vertumnus, enamored of her charms, did his 
best to make her change her mind, but she would not even listen 
to his pleadings. 

At last the lover had recourse to stratagem, disguised himself 
as an aged crone, entered Pomona's garden, and inquired how 
it happened that such a very charming young woman should 
remain so long unmarried. Then, having received a mocking an- 
swer, he began to argue with her, and finally extracted an avowal, 
that, among all the suitors, one alone was worthy of her love, 
Vertumnus. Vertumnus seized the favorable opportunity, re- 
vealed himself, and clasped her to his breast. Pomona, perceiv- 
ing that she had hopelessly betrayed herself, no longer refused 
to wed, but allowed him to share her labors, and help her turn 
the luscious fruit to ripen in the autumn sunshine. 

The lesser divinities of the sea were almost as numerous as- 
those of the land, and included the lovely Ocean- 
ides and Nereides, together with their male com- 
panions the Tritons, who generally formed Neptune's regal train. 

One of the lesser sea gods, Glaucus, was once a poor fisher- 
man, who earned his daily bread by selling the fish he caught in 
his nets. On one occasion he made an extra fine story of 
haul, and threw his net full of fish down upon a Glaucus 
certain kind of grass, which the flapping fish immediately nibbled, 
and, as if endowed with extraordinary powers, bounded back 
into the waves and swam away. 



304 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Greatly surprised at this occurrence, Glaucus began chewing 
a few blades of this peculiar grass, and immediately felt an insane 
desire to plunge into the sea, — a desire which soon became so 
intense, that he could no longer resist it, but dived down into 
the water. The mere contact with the salt waves sufficed to 
change his nature ; and swimming about comfortably in the ele- 
ment, where he now found himself perfectly at home, he began 
to explore the depths of the sea. 

■ I plung'd for life or death. To interknit 

One's senses with so dense a breathing stuff 

Might seem a work of pain ; so not enough 

Can I admire how crystal-smooth it felt, 

And buoyant round my limbs. At first I dwelt 

Whole days and days in sheer astonishment ; 

Forgetful utterly of self-intent ; 

Moving but with the mighty ebb and flow. 

Then, like a new fledg'd bird that first doth show 

His spreaded feathers to the morrow chill, 

I try'd in fear the pinions of my will. 

'Twas freedom ! and at once I visited 

The ceaseless wonders of this ocean-bed.' " 

Keats. 

Glaucus was worshiped most particularly by the fishermen and 
boatmen, whose vessels he was supposed to guard from evil, and 
whose nets were often filled to overflow through his intervention. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE TROJAN WAR. 

Jupiter, father of the gods, once fell deeply in love with a 
beautiful sea nymph named Thetis, the daughter of Nereus and 
Doris, — 

" Thetis of the silver feet, and child 
Of the gray Ancient of the Deep. " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

He was very anxious indeed to marry her, but, before taking 
such an important step, deemed it prudent to consult the Fates, 
who alone could inform him whether this union j up iter and 
would be for his happiness or not. It was very Thetis, 
fortunate for him that he did so, for the three sisters told him 
that Thetis was destined to be the mother of a son who would 
far outshine his father. 

Jupiter carefully pondered this reply, and concluded to re- 
nounce the marriage rather than run any risk of being forced 
to surrender his power to one greater than he. Thetis' hand he 
then decreed should be given in marriage to Peleus, King of 
Phthia, who had loved her faithfully, and had long sued in vain. 

Thetis, however, was not at all anxious to accept the hand of 
a mere mortal after having enjoyed the attention of the gods (for 
Neptune also had wooed her), and demurred, until Jupiter prom- 
ised his own and the gods' attendance at the marriage feast. 
The prospect of this signal honor reconciled the maiden, and 
the wedding preparations were made in the coral caves of her 
father, Nereus, beneath the foam-crested waves. 

305 



306 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Thither, mindful of his promise, came Jupiter, with all the 
gods of Olympus. 

" Then, with his Queen, the Father of the gods 
Came down from high Olympus' bright abodes; 
Came down, with all th' attending deities." 

Catullus. 

The guests took their seats, and pledged the bride and groom 
in brimming cups of wine, — Bacchus' wedding gift to Thetis. 
All was joy and merriment, when an uninvited guest suddenly 
appeared in the banquet-hall. All present immediately recog- 
nized Eris, or Discordia, goddess of discord, whose snaky locks, 
sour looks, and violent temper had caused her to be omitted from 
the wedding list, — 

"The Abominable, that uninvited came 
Into the fair Peleian banquet-hall." 

Tennyson. 

This omission angered her, and made her determine to have 
her revenge by troubling the harmony which evidently reigned 
The apple of among all the guests. For a moment she stood 
discord. beside the bountiful board, then threw upon it a 
golden apple, and, exhaling over the assembly her poisoned breath, 
she vanished. The general attention was, of course, turned upon 
the golden fruit, whereon the inscription " To the fairest " was 
clearly traced. 

All the ladies were at first inclined to contend for the prize ; 
but little by little all the claimants withdrew except Juno, 
Minerva, and Venus, who hotly disputed for its possession. Juno 
declared that the queen of the gods, in her majesty and power, 
surely had the best right ; Minerva, that the beauty of wisdom 
and knowledge far surpassed external charms ; and Venus smiled, 
and archly requested to be informed who might assert greater 
claims than the goddess of beauty. 

The dispute grew more and more bitter, and the irate god- 
desses called upon the guests to award the prize to the most deserv- 



THE TROJAN WAR. 307 

ing ; but the guests, one and all, refused to act as umpires, for the 
apple could be given to but one, and the two others would be sure 
to vent their anger and disappointment upon the judge who passed 
over their charms in favor of a third. The final decision' was 
therefore referred to Paris, who, although performing the lowly 
duties of a shepherd, was the son of Priam and Hecuba, King 
and Queen of Troy. 

When but a babe, Paris had been exposed on a mountain to 
perish, because an oracle had predicted that he would cause the 
death of his family and the downfall of his native city. Although 
thus cruelly treated, he had not perished, but had been adopted 
by a shepherd, who made him follow his own calling. 

When Paris reached manhood, he was a very handsome and 
attractive young man, and won the love of GEnone, a beautiful 
nymph to whom he was secretly united. Their p ar isand 
happiness, however, was but fleeting, for the Fates CEnone. 
had decreed that Paris' love for the fair CEnone would soon die. 

" The Fate, 
That rules the will of Jove, had spun the days 
Of Paris and CEnone." 

Quintus Smyrn^eus (Elton's tr.). 

Instead of lingering by the fair nymph's side, Paris wandered 
off to a lonely mountain top, where the three goddesses sought 
him to judge their quarrel. Minerva, in glitter- judgment of 
ing armor, first appeared before his dazzled eyes, Paris, 

and proffered the bribe of extensive wisdom if he would but give 
her the preference. 

Juno, queen of heaven, next appeared in royal robes and 
insignia, and whispered that he should have great wealth and 
unlimited power were he only to award the prize to her. 

"She to Paris made 
Proffer of royal power, ample rule 
Unquestion'd, overflowing revenue 
Wherewith to embellish state, ' from many a vale 



3©8 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

And river-sunder'd champaign clothed with corn, 
Or labor'd mine undrainable of ore. 
Honor,' she said, 'and homage, tax and toll, 
From many an inland town and haven large, 
Mast-throng'd beneath her shadowing citadel 
In glassy bays among her tallest towers.' " 

Tennyson. 

But all Minerva's and Juno's charms and bribes were forgotten 
when Venus, in her magic cestus, appeared before the judge. 
This artful simplicity was the result of much thought, for we 
are told that 

" Venus oft with anxious care 
Adjusted twice a single hair." 

COWPER. 

Then, trembling lest her efforts should prove vain, she gently 
drew near the youth, and softly promised him a bride as fair as 
herself, in return for the coveted golden apple. 

Won either by her superior attractions or by her alluring bribe, 
Paris no longer hesitated, but placed the prize in her extended 
palm. 

''Ere yet her speech was finished, he consign'd 
To her soft hand the fruit of burnished rind ; 
And foam-born Venus grasp'd the graceful meed, 
Of war, of evil war, the quickening seed." 

Coluthus (Elton's tr.). 

This act of partiality, of course, called down upon him the wrath 
and .hatred of Juno and Minerva, who, biding their time, watched 
for a suitable opportunity to avenge themselves ; while Venus, 
triumphant, and anxious to redeem her promise, directed Paris 
to return to Troy, make himself known to his parents, — who, the 
goddess promised, would welcome him warmly, — and obtain 
from them a fleet in which he might sail to Greece. 

In obedience to these instructions, Paris ruthlessly abandoned 
the fair and faithful (Enone, and, joining a band of youthful 
shepherds, went to Troy, under pretext of witnessing a solemn 




PARIS (Vatican, Rome.) 



(309) 



310 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

festival. There he took part in the athletic games, distinguished 
himself, and attracted the attention of his sister Cassandra. 

Paris' return This princess was noted for her beauty, and it is 
to Troy. sa j^ j-^ even been wooed by Apollo, who, hop- 
ing to win her favor, bestowed upon her the gift of prophecy. 
For some reason the god's suit had not prospered ; and, as he 
could not take back the power conferred, he annulled it by mak- 
ing her hearers refuse to credit her words. 

Cassandra immediately called her parents' attention to the ex- 
traordinary likeness Paris bore to her other brothers ; and then, 
breaking out into a prophetic strain, she foretold that he would 
bring destruction upon his native city. Priam and Hecuba, 
scorning her prophecy, joyfully received their long-lost son, lov- 
ingly compelled him to take up his abode in their palace, and 
promised to atone for their past neglect by granting his every 
wish. 

Still advised by Venus, Paris soon expressed a desire to sail 
for Greece, under the pretext of rescuing Hesione, his father's 

Paris sails for sister, whom Hercules had carried off, after be- 
Greece. sieging Troy. He was promptly provided with 

several well-manned galleys, and soon after appeared at the court 
of Menelaus, King of Sparta, whose young wife, Helen, was the 
most beautiful woman of her time, if we are to believe the testi- 
mony of her contemporaries. 

" Full threescore girls, in sportive flight we stray'd, 
Like youths anointing, where along the glade 
The baths of cool Eurotas limpid play'd. 
But none, of all, with Helen might compare, 
Nor one seem'd faultless of the fairest fair. 
As morn, with vermeil visage, looks from high, 
When solemn night has vanish'd suddenly; 
When winter melts, and frees the frozen hours, 
And spring's green bough is gemm'd with silvery flowers : 
So bloom'd the virgin Helen in our eyes, 
With full voluptuous limbs, and towering size : 



THE TROJAN WAR. 311 

In shape, in height, in stately presence fair, 

Straight as a furrow gliding from the share ; 

A cypress of the gardens, spiring high, 

A courser in the cars of Thessaly. 

So rose-complexion'd Helen charm'd the sight; 

Our Sparta's grace, our glory, and delight." 

Theocritus (Elton's tr.). 

A daughter of Jupiter and Leda (whom Jove had courted in 
the guise of a snow-white swan), Helen had many suitors who 
ardently strove to win her favor. The noblest, Helen's 
bravest, and best came to woo and hoped to win ; suitors, 

but all were left in suspense, as the maiden did not show any 
preference, and refused to make known her choice. 

Tyndareus, Helen's stepfather, thinking the rejected suitors 
might attempt to steal her away from any husband she selected, 
proposed that all the candidates for her hand should take a 
solemn oath, binding themselves to respect the marital rights of 
the favored suitor, and help him regain possession of his wife 
should any one venture to kidnap her. 

" This was cause 
To Tyndarus her father of much doubt, 
To give, or not to give her, and how best 
To make good fortune his : at length this thought 
Occurr'd, that each to each the wooers give 
, Their oath,- and plight their hands, and on the flames 
Pour the libations, and with solemn vows 
Bind their firm faith that him, who should obtain 
The virgin for his bride, they all would aid ; 
If any dar'd to seize and bear her off, 
And drive by force her husband from her bed, 
All would unite in arms, and lay his town, 
Greek or Barbaric, level with the ground." 

Euripides (Potter's tr.). 

All agreed to this proposal, the oath was taken, and Helen, 
whose deliberations had come to an end, bestowed her hand 
upon Menelaus, King of Sparta. 



312 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

On his arrival at, Sparta, in Lacedsemonia, Paris was received 
with graceful hospitality by Menelaus and Helen. He had not 
Abduction of sojourned there many days, however, before the 
Helen. \i\x\<g was called away from home, and departed, 

confiding to his wife the care of entertaining his princely guest. 
During his absence, Paris, urged by Venus, courted Helen so 
successfully, that she finally consented to elope with him, and 
allowed herself to be borne away in triumph to Troy. 

"Then from her husband's stranger-sheltering home 
He tempted Helen o'er the ocean foam." 

Coluthus (Elton's tr.). 

Menelaus, on his return from Crete, discovered his guest's 
treachery, and swore never to rest satisfied until he had recovered 
Preparations his truant wife,and punished her seducer. Messen- 
for war. g erg were sen t [ n haste in every direction, to sum- 
mon Helen's former suitors to keep their oath, and join Menelaus 
at Aulis with men and weapons. All came promptly at his call 
except Ulysses, King of Ithaca, who, to console himself for 
Helen's refusal of his suit, had married her cousin, Penelope, and 
had now no dearer wish than to linger by her side and admire 
his infant son, Telemachus. 

In the presence of the messenger Palamedes, Ulysses feigned 

insanity, hoping thereby to elude the tedious journey to Troy ; 

Ulysses feigns but the messenger was not so easily duped, and 

madness. cleverly determined to ascertain the truth by strata- 
gem. One day, therefore, when the king was plowing the sea- 
shore with an ox and horse harnessed together, and sowing this 
strange field with salt, Palamedes placed the babe Telemachus 
in the furrow, directly in front of the plow, and marked how 
skillfully Ulysses turned his ill-assorted team aside to avoid harm- 
ing his heir. This action sufficed to prove to Palamedes that 
the king had not lost all control of his senses, and enabled him 
to force Ulysses to obey Menelaus' summons. 

At Aulis the assembled army with unanimous consent elected 




ABDUCTION OF HELEN.— Deutsch. 



(3i3) 



3H CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother, chief of the expedition, which 

numbered, among many others, Nestor, noted for his wise counsel ; 

Agamemnon ^Ajax, gigantic in strength and courage ; and Dio- 

made chief. medes, the renowned warrior. 

The troops were assembled, the vessels freighted ; but before 
they departed, the chiefs considered it expedient to consult an 
oracle, to ascertain whether their expedition was destined to suc- 
ceed. In a somewhat veiled and ambiguous manner, they re- 
ceived answer that Troy could never be taken without the aid of 
the son of Peleus and Thetis, Achilles, of whom the Fates had 
predicted that he would surpass his father in greatness (p. 305). 

Thetis loved this only child so dearly, that when he was but a 
babe, she had carried him to the banks of the Styx, whose 
Achilles' early waters had the magic power of rendering all the 
llfe - parts they touched invulnerable. Premising that 

her son would be a great warrior, and thus exposed to great 
danger, she plunged him wholly into the tide with the exception 
of one heel, by which she held him, and then returned home. 

Some time after, an oracle foretold that Achilles would die be- 
neath the walls of Troy from a wound in his heel, the only vulner- 
able part of his body. With many tears Thetis vowed that her 
son should never leave her to encounter such a fate, and intrusted 
the care of his education to the Centaur Chiron, who had taught 
all the greatest heroes in turn. 

From this instructor Achilles learned the arts of war, wrestling, 
poetry, music, and song, — all, in short, that an accomplished Greek 
warrior was expected to know, — and, when his studies were fin- 
ished, returned to his father's court to gladden his fond mother's 
heart by his presence. 

Thetis' joy was all turned to grief, however, when rumors of 
the war imminent between Greece and Troy came to her ears. 
She knew her son would soon be summoned, and, to prevent his 
going, sent him off to the court of Lycomedes, where, under 
some pretext, he was prevailed upon to assume a disguise and 
mingle with the king's daughters and their handmaidens. 



THE TROJAN WAR. 315 

One messenger after another was dispatched to summon 
Achilles to join the fleet at Aulis, but one after another returned 
without having seen him, or being able to ascertain where he was 
hiding. The Greeks, however anxious to depart, dared not sail 
without him. They were in despair, until Ulysses, the wily, pro- 
posed a plan, and offered to carry it out. 

" Ulysses, man of many arts, 
Son of Laertes, reared in Ithaca, 
That rugged isle, and skilled in every form 
Of shrewd device and action wisely planned." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Arrayed in peddler's garb, with a pack upon his shoulders, 
Ulysses entered Lycomedes' palace, where he shrewdly suspected 
Achilles was concealed, and offered his wares for uiysses discov- 
sale. The maidens selected trinkets ; but one of ers Achi ^ les - 
them, closely veiled, seized a weapon concealed among the orna- 
ments, and brandished it with such skill, that Ulysses saw through 
the assumed disguise, explained his presence and purpose, and 
by his eloquence persuaded the young Achilles to accompany 
him to Aulis. 

The Greeks were now ready to embark ; but no favorable 
wind came to swell the sails, which day after day hung limp 
and motionless against the tall masts of their vessels. 

"The troops 
Collected and imbodied, here we sit 
Inactive, arid from Aulis wish to sail 
In vain." 

Euripides (Potter's tr.). 

Calchas, the soothsayer of the expedition, was again consulted, 
to discover how they might best win the favor of the gods ; and 
the reply given purported that no favorable wind sacrifice of 
would blow until Iphigenia, daughter of A gam em- iphigenia. 
non, was offered up in sacrifice to appease the everlasting gods. 

Many other propitiatory methods were tried ; but as they all 



31 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

proved ineffective, Agamemnon, urged by his companions, sent 
for his daughter, feigning that he wished to celebrate her nup- 
tials with Achilles before his departure. 

" I wrote, I seal'd 
A letter to my wife, that she should send 
Her daughter, to Achilles as a bride 
Affianc'd." 

Euripides (Potter's tr.). 

Iphigenia came to her father secretly delighted at being the 
chosen bride of such a hero ; but, instead of being led to the 
hymeneal altar, she was dragged to the place of sacrifice, where 
the priest, with uplifted knife, was about to end her sufferings, 
when Diana suddenly appeared, snatched her up in a cloud, and 
left in her stead a deer, which was duly sacrificed, while Iphige- 
nia was borne in safety to Tauris, where she became a priestess 
in one of the goddess's temples. 

The gods were now propitious, and the wind slowly rose, 
filled the sails of the waiting vessels, and wafted them swiftly and 

Arrival at steadily over the sea to the Trojan shores, where 
Troy - an army stood ready to prevent the Greek troops 

from disembarking. The invaders were eager to land to meas- 
ure their strength against the Trojans ; yet all hesitated to leave 
the ships, for an oracle had foretold that the first warrior who at- 
tempted to land would meet with instant death. 

" ' The Delphic oracle foretold 
That the first Greek who touched the Trojan strand 
Should die.'" 

Wordsworth. 

Protesilaus, a brave chief, seeing his comrades' irresolution, 
and animated by a spirit of self-sacrifice, sprang boldly ashore, 
Protesilaus and an( 3 perished, slain by the enemy, as soon as his 

Laodamia. f oot j^ touched the foreign soil. When the tid- 
ings of his death reached his beloved wife, Laodamia, whom he 
had left in Thessaly, they well-nigh broke her heart ; and in her 



THE TROJAN WAR. 317 

despair she entreated the gods to let her die, or allow her to see 
her lord once more, were it but for a moment. Her appeal was 
so touching, that the gods could not refuse to hear it, and bade 
Mercury conduct her husband's shade back to earth, to tarry 
with her for three hours' time. 

" 'Such grace hath crowned thy prayer, 
Laodamia ! that at Jove's command 
Thy husband walks the paths of upper air : 
He comes to tarry with thee three hours' space; 
Accept the gift, behold him face to face ! ' " 

Wordsworth. 

With an inarticulate cry of joy, Laodamia beheld the beloved 
countenance of Protesilaus once more, and from his own lips 
heard the detailed account of his early death. The three hours 
passed all too quickly in delicious intercourse ; and when Mercury 
reappeared to lead him back to Hades, the loving wife, unable 
to endure a second parting, died of grief. 

The same grave, it is said, was the resting place of this united 
pair, and kind-hearted nymphs planted elm trees over their 
remains. These trees grew, "until they were high enough to 
command a view of Troy, and then withered away, while fresh 
branches sprang from the roots." 

" Upon the side 
Of Hellespont (such faith was entertained) 
A knot of spiry trees for ages grew 
From out the tomb of him for whom she died ; 
And ever, when such stature they had gained 
That Ilium's walls were subject to their view, 
The trees' tall summits withered at the sight ; 
A constant interchange of growth and blight ! " 

Wordsworth. 

Hostilities had now begun, and the war between the conflict- 
ing hosts was waged with equal courage and skill. During nine 
long" years of uninterrupted strife, the Greeks' efforts to enter 
Troy, or Ilium, as it was also called, were vain, as were also the 



318 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Trojans' attempts to force the foe to leave their shores. This 
memorable struggle is the theme of many poems. The oldest and 
most renowned of all, the Iliad, begins with the story of the tenth 
and last year's events. 

Among a number of captives taken in a skirmish by the Hel- 
lenic troops, were two beautiful maidens, Chryseis, daughter of 
Chryseis and Chryses, priest of Apollo, and Briseis. The pris^ 
Briseis. oners were, as usual, allotted to various chiefs, and 
Agamemnon received the priest's daughter as reward for his 
bravery, while Achilles triumphantly led to his tent the equally 
fair Briseis. 

When Chryses heard that his child had fallen into the hands 
of the enemy, he hastened to Agamemnon's tent to offer a rich 
ransom for her recovery ; but the aged father's entreaties were all 
unheeded, and he was dismissed with many heartless taunts. 
Exasperated by this cruel treatment, he raised his hands to 
heaven, and implored Apollo to avenge the insults he had re- 
ceived by sending down upon the Greeks all manner of evil. 
This prayer was no sooner heard than answered, by the sun god's 
sending a terrible plague to decimate the enemy's troops. 

" The aged man indignantly withdrew; 
And Phoebus — for the priest was dear to him — 
Granted his prayer, and sent among the Greeks 
A deadly shaft. The people of the camp 
Were perishing in heaps." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

The Greeks, in terror, now consulted an oracle to know why 
this calamity had come upon them, and how they might check 
the progress of the deadly disease which was so rapidly reducing 
their forces. They were told that the plague would never cease 
until Agamemnon surrendered his captive, and thus disarmed 
Apollo's wrath, which had been kindled by his rude refusal to 
comply with the aged priest's request. 

All the Greek chiefs, assembled in council, decided to send 
Achilles to Agamemnon to apprise him of their wish that he 



THE TROJAN WAR. 319 

should set Chryseis free, — a wish which he immediately consented 
to grant, if Briseis were given him in exchange. 

The plague was raging throughout the camp ; the cries of the 
sufferers rent the air ; many had already succumbed to the 
scourge, and all were threatened with an inglorious death. 
Achilles, mindful of all this, and anxious to save his beloved 
companions, consented to comply with this unreasonable request ; 
but at the same time he swore, that, if Agamemnon really took 
his captive away, he would not strike another blow. 

Chryseis was immediately consigned to the care of a herald, 
who led her back to her aged father's arms. Ready to forgive 
all, now that his child was restored to him, Chryses implored 
Apollo to stay his hand, and the plague instantly ceased. 

As for Agamemnon, he sent his slaves to Achilles' tent to lead 
away Briseis ; and the hero, true to his promise, laid aside his 
armor, determined to fight no more. 

"The great Achilles, swift of foot, remained 
Within his ships, indignant for the sake 
Of the fair-haired Briseis." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Thetis, hearing of the wanton insult offered her son, left her 
coral caves, ascended to Olympus, cast herself at Jupiter's feet, 
and with many tears tremulously prayed he would Achilles' 
avenge Achilles and make the Greeks fail in all wrath, 

their attempts as long as her son's wrath remained unappeased. 

Jupiter, touched by her beauty and distress, frowned until the 
very firmament shook, and swore to make the Greeks rue the 
day they left their native shores, 

"To give Achilles honor and to cause 

Myriads of Greeks to perish by their fleet." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

In consequence of a treacherous dream purposely sent by 
Jupiter to delude him, Agamemnon again assembled his troops, 
and proposed a new onslaught upon the Trojan forces. But 



320 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

when the army was drawn up in battle array, Hector, the eldest 

son of Priam, and therefore leader of his army, stepping forward, 

Agamemnon proposed that the prolonged quarrel should be 

misled. definitely settled by a single combat between Paris 

and Menelaus. 

" Hector then stood forth and said: — 
' Hearken, ye Trojans and ye nobly-armed 
Achaians, to what Paris says by me. 
He bids the Trojans and the Greeks lay down 
Their shining arms upon the teeming earth, 
And he and Menelaus, loved of Mars, 
Will strive in single combat, on the ground 
Between the hosts, for Helen and her wealth ; 
And he who shall o'ercome, and prove himself 
The better warrior, to his home shall bear 
The treasure and the woman, while the rest 
Shall frame a solemn covenant of peace.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

This proposal having been received favorably, Menelaus and 
Paris soon engaged in a duel, which was witnessed by both 
Menelaus and armies, by Helen and Priam from the Trojan 
Pans fight. walls, and by the everlasting gods from the wooded 
heights of Mount Ida ; but in the very midst of the fight, Venus, 
seeing her favorite about to succumb, suddenly snatched him 
away from the battlefield, and bore him unseen to his chamber, 
where he was joined by Helen, who bitterly reproached him for 
his cowardly flight. 

Indignant at this interference on Venus' part, the gods decreed 
that the war should be renewed ; and Minerva, assuming the 
form of a Trojan warrior, aimed an arrow at Menelaus, who was 
vainly seeking his vanished opponent. This act of treachery was 
the signal for a general call to arms and a renewal of hostilities. 
Countless deeds of valor were now performed by the heroes on 
both sides, and also by the gods, who mingled in the ranks and 
even fought against each other, until recalled by Jupiter, and for- 
bidden to fight any more. 



THE TROJAN WAR. 321 

For a little while fortune seemed to favor the Greeks ; and 
Hector, hastening back to Troy, bade his mother go to the temple 
with' all her women, and endeavor by her prayers Hector and 
and gifts to propitiate Minerva and obtain her aid. Andromache. 
Then he hastened off in search of his wife Andromache and 
little son Astyanax, whom he wished to embrace once more 
before rushfrig'out to battle and possible death. 

He found his palace deserted, and, upon questioning the 
women, heard that his wife had gone to the Scaean Gate, where 
he now drove as fast as his noble steeds could drag him. There, 
at the gate, took place the parting scene, which has deservedly 
been called the most pathetic in all the Iliad, in which Androm- 
ache vainly tried to detain her husband within the walls, while 
Hector gently reproved her, and demonstrated that his duty 
called him out upon the field of battle, where he must hold his 
own if he would not see the city taken, the Trojans slain, and 
the women, including his mother and beloved Andromache, 
borne away into bitter captivity. 

" Andromache 
Pressed to his side meanwhile, and, all in tears, 
Clung to his hand, and, thus beginning, said : — 
' Too brave ! thy valor yet will cause thy death. 
Thou hast no pity on thy tender child, 
Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be 
Thy widow. All the Greeks will rush on thee 
To take thy life. A happier lot were mine, 
If I must lose thee, to go down to earth, 
For I shall have no hope when thou art gone, — 
Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none, 
And no dear mother. 

Hector, thou 
Art father and dear mother now to me, 
And brother and my youthful spouse besides. 
In pity keep within the fortress here, 
Nor make thy child an orphan nor thy wife 
A widow.' 




<3 22 ) 



THE TROJAN WAR. 323 

Then answered Hector, great in war: ' All this 
I bear in mind, dear wife ; but I should stand 
Ashamed before the men and long-robed dames 
Of Troy, were I to keep aloof and shun 
The conflict, coward-like.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Then he stretched out his arms for his infant son, who, how- 
ever, shrank back affrighted at the sight of his brilliant helmet 
and nodding plumes, and would not go to him until he had set 
the gleaming headdress aside. After a passionate prayer for his 
little heir's future welfare, Hector gave the 'child back to Androm- 
ache, and, with a last farewell embrace, sprang into his chariot 
and drove away. 

" c Sorrow not thus, beloved one, for me. 
No living man can send me to the shades 
Before my time ; no man of woman born, 
Coward or brave, can shun his destiny. 
But go thou home, and tend thy labors there, — 
The web, the distaff, — and command thy maids 
To speed the work. The cares of war pertain 
To all men born in Troy, and most to me.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Paris, ashamed now of his former flight, soon joined his brother 
upon the battlefield, and together they performed many deeds 
of valor. The time had now come when Jupiter Greeks 
was about to redeem the promise given to Thetis, repelled, 
for little by little the Greeks were forced to yield before the 
might of the Trojans, who, stimulated by their partial success, 
and fired by Hector's example, performed miracles of valor, and 
finally drove their assailants into their intrenchments. 

Death and defeat now dogged the very footsteps of the Greek 
forces, who were driven, inch by inch, away from the walls, ever 
nearer the place where their vessels rode at anchor. They now 
ardently longed for the assistance of Achilles, whose mere pres- 
ence, in days gone by, had filled the Trojan hearts with terror ; 



324 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

but the hero, although Briseis had been returned unmolested, 
paid no heed to their entreaties for aid, and remained a sul- 
len and indifferent spectator of their flight, while the Trojans 
began to set fire to some of the vessels of their fleet. 

"The goddess-born Achilles, swift of foot, 
Beside his ships still brooded o'er his wrath. 
Nor came to counsel with the illustrious chiefs, 
Nor to the war, but suffered idleness 
To eat his heart away ; for well he loved 
Clamor and combat." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Discouraged by all these reverses, in spite of their brave re- 
sistance, the Greeks, in despair, concluded that the gods had en- 
tirely forsaken them, and beat a hasty and ignominious retreat 
to the shore, closely followed by the enemy, who uttered loud 
cries of triumph. 

Patroclus, Achilles' intimate friend, then hastened to the hero's 
side to inform him of his comrades' flight, and implore him once 
Patroclus dons more to rescue them from inevitable death. But 
Achilles' armor. Achilles, summoning all his pride to his assistance, 
did not waver in his resolve. Suddenly Patroclus remembered 
that the mere sight of Achilles' armor might suffice to arrest 
the enemy's advance and produce a diversion in favor of the 
Greeks : so he asked permission to wear it and lead the Myrmi- 
dons, Achilles' trusty followers, into the fray. 

" Send me at least into the war, 
And let me lead thy Myrmidons, that thus 
The Greeks may have some gleam of hope. And give 
The armor from thy shoulders. I will wear 
Thy mail, and then the Trojans, at the sight, 
May think I am Achilles, and may pause 
From fighting, and the warlike sons of Greece, 
Tired as they are, may breathe once more, and gain 
A respite from the conflict." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 



THE TROJAN WAR. 325 

Achilles had sworn, it is true, not to return to the scene of 
strife, but was quite willing to lend men and arms, if they might 
be of any use, and immediately placed them at his friend's dis- 
posal. Hastily Patroclus donned the glittering armor, called 
aloud to the Myrmidons to follow his lead, and rushed forth to 
encounter the enemy. 

The Trojans paused in dismay, thinking Achilles had come, and 
were about to take flight, when all at once they discovered the 
fraud. With renewed courage, they opposed the Death of 
Greek onslaught. Many heroes bit the dust in Patroclus. 
this encounter, among others Sarpedon, the son of Jupiter and 
Europa (p. 45), — whose remains were borne away from the bat- 
tlefield by the twin "divinities Sleep and Death, — ere Hector, son 
of Priam, and chief among the Trojan warriors, challenged Pa- 
troclus to single combat. Needless to say, the two closed in 
deadly battle, and fought with equal valor, until Patroclus, al- 
ready exhausted by his previous efforts, and betrayed by the 
gods, finally succumbed. 

"The hero fell 

With clashing mail, and all the Greeks beheld 
His fall with grief. " 

Homer (Bnyant's tr.y 

With a loud cry of victory, Hector wrenched the armor off 
the mangled corpse, and quickly withdrew to array himself in the 
brilliant spoils. The tidings of Patroclus' fall spread rapidly all 
through the Grecian camp, and reached Achilles, who wept aloud 
when he heard that his beloved friend, who had left him but a 
short time before full of life and energy, was now no more. So 
noisily did the hero mourn his loss, that Thetis, in the quiet 
ocean depths, heard his groans, and rushed to his side to ascer- 
tain their cause. 

Into his mother's sympathetic ear Achilles poured the whole 
story of his grief and loss, while she gently strove Achilles- 
to turn his thoughts aside from the sad event, grief# 

and arouse an interest for some pursuit less dangerous than 



326 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

war. All her efforts were vain, however ; for Achilles' soul 
thirsted for revenge, and he repeatedly swore he would go forth 
and slay his friend's murderer. 

" No wish 
Have I to live, or to concern myself 
In men's affairs, save this : that Hector first, 
Pierced by my spear, shall yield his life, and pay 
The debt of vengeance for Patroclus slain." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Then, in sudden dread lest Hector should fall by another's 
hand, or withdraw from the battlefield and thus escape his 
vengeance, Achilles would have rushed from his tent unarmed ; 
but his mother prevailed upon him to wait until the morrow, 
when she promised to bring him a full suit of armor from Vul- 
can's own hand. Rapidly Thetis then traversed the wide space 
which separates the coast of Asia Minor from Mount ^Etna, 
where Vulcan labored at his forge. 

" She found him there 
Sweating and toiling, and with busy hand 
Plying the bellows." 

Homer (Bryant's tr. ). 

Arrived before him, she breathlessly made known her errand, 
and the god promised that the arms should be ready within 

Achilles' tne given time, and immediately set to work to 
armor. fashion them. By his skillful hands the marvelous 

weapons were forged ; and when the first streak of light appeared 
above the horizon, he consigned them to Thetis, who hastened 
back to her son's tent, where she found him still bewailing the 
loss of Patroclus. 

During Thetis' absence, messengers had come to Achilles' tent 
to warn him that Patroclus' body was still in the enemy's hands, 
and to implore him to come and rescue the precious corpse. 
Mindful of his promise to his mother, Achilles still refused to 
fight, but, springing upon the rampart, uttered his mighty war-cry, 
the sound of which filled the enemy's hearts with terror, and made 




THETIS BEARING THE ARMOR OF ACHILLES.— Gerard. (327) 



328 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

them yield to the well-directed onslaught of Ajax and Diomedes, 
who finally succeeded in recovering the body, which they then 
reverently bore to Achilles' tent. 

To console Achilles for his friend's death, Thetis exhibited 
the glorious armor she had just obtained, helped him put it on, 
and then bade him go forth and conquer. 

" ' Leave we the dead, my son, since it hath pleased 
The gods that he should fall; and now receive 
This sumptuous armor, forged by Vulcan's hand, 
Beautiful, such as no man ever wore.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Thus armed, mounted in his chariot drawn by his favorite 
steeds, and driven by his faithful'charioteer Automedon, Achilles 

Death of went forth to battle, and finally seeing Hector, 
Hector. whom alone he wished to meet, he rushed upon 
him with a hoarse cry of rage. The Trojan hero, at the mere 
sight of the deadly hatred which shone in Achilfes' eyes, turned 
to flee. Achilles pursued him, and taunted him with his coward- 
ice, until Hector turned and fought with all the courage and 
recklessness of despair. 

Their blows fell like hail, a cloud of dust enveloped their 
struggling forms, and the anxious witnesses only heard the dull 
thud of the blows and the metallic clash of the weapons. Sud- 
denly there came a loud cry, then all was still ; and when the 
dust-cloud had blown away, the Trojans from the ramparts, 
where they had waited in agony for the issue of the fight, beheld 
Achilles tear the armor from their champion's body, bind the 
corpse to his chariot, and drive nine times round the city walls, 
Hector's princely head dragging in the dust. Priam, Hecuba, 
and Andromache, Hector's beautiful young wife, tearfully watched 
this ignominious treatment, and finally saw Achilles drive off to 
the spot where Patroclus' funeral pile was laid, and there abandon 
the corpse. 

Achilles then returned to his tent, where for a long time he 



THE TROJAN WAR. 3 2 9 

continued to mourn his friend's untimely end, refusing to be 
comforted. 

The gods, from their celestial abode, had also witnessed this 
heartrending scene, and now Jupiter sent Iris to Thetis, and 
bade her hasten down to Achilles and command The gods . 
him to restore Hector's body to his mourning fam- decree, 
ily. He also directed Mercury to lead Priam, unseen, into 
Achilles' tent, to claim and bear away his son's desecrated corpse. 
Thetis, seeking Achilles in his tent, announced the will of Jove : — 

" I am come 
A messenger from Jove, who bids me say 
The immortals are offended, and himself 
The most, that thou shouldst in thy spite detain 
The corse of Hector at the beaked ships, 
Refusing its release. Comply thou, then, 
And take the ransom and restore the dead." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Mercury acquitted himself with his usual dispatch, and soon 
guided Priam in safety through the Grecian camp Return of 
to Achilles' tent, where the aged king fell at the Hector ' s body- 
hero's feet, humbly pleading for his son's body, and proffering 
a princely ransom in exchange. 

Achilles, no longer able to refuse this entreaty, and touched by 
a father's tears, consigned Hector's corpse to the old man's care, 
and promised an armistice of fourteen days, that the funeral rites 
in both camps might be celebrated with all due pomp and solem- 
nity ; and with the burial of Hector the Iliad comes to a close. 

At the end of the truce the hostilities were renewed, and the 
Trojans were reinforced by the arrival of Penthesilea, queen of 
the Amazons, who, with a chosen troop of warrior Death of 
maidens, came to offer her aid. The brave queen Penthesilea. 
afforded them, however, only temporary relief, as she was slain 
by Achilles in their very first encounter. 

! He, too, however, was doomed to die " in the flower of his 
youth and beauty," and the Fates had almost finished spinning 



33° CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

his thread of life. In an early skirmish, while in close pursuit 
of the Trojans, Thetis' son had once caught sight of Polyxena, 
daughter of Priam, and had been deeply smitten by her girlish 
charms. He now vainly tried to make peace between the con- 
flicting nations, hoping that, were the war but ended, he might 
obtain her hand in marriage. 

His efforts to make peace failed ; but at last he prevailed upon 

Priam to celebrate his betrothal with Polyxena, with the stipu- 

Death of lation that the marriage would take place as soon 

Achilles. as fa e war was over# The betrothal ceremony 

was held without the city gates ; and Achilles was just about to 
part from his blushing betrothed, when Paris, ever treacherous, 
stole behind him and shot a poisoned arrow into his vulnerable 
heel, thus slaying the hero who had caused so many brave war- 
riors to bite the dust. 

" Thus great Achilles, who had shown his zeal 
In healing wounds, died of a wounded heel." 

O. W. Holmes. 

His armor -~ the glorious armor forged by Vulcan — was hotly 
contested for by Ulysses and Ajax. The former finally obtained 
the coveted weapons ; and Ajax' grief at their loss was so intense, 
that he becarrre-insane, and killed himself in a fit of frenzy, while 
Polyxena, inconsolable at her betrothed's death, committed sui- 
cide on the magnificent tomb erected over his remains on the 
Trojan plain. 

The oracles, silent so long, now announced that Troy could 
never be taken without the poisoned arrows of Hercules, then in 
Phiioctetes' the keeping of Philoctetes (p. 238). This hero 
arrows. ^ad s t ar ted with the expedition', but had been put 
ashore on the Island of Lemnos on account of a wound in his 
foot, which had become so offensive that none of the ship's com- 
pany could endure his presence on board. 

Ten long years had already elapsed since then, and, although 
a party of Greeks immediately set out in search of him, they had 



THE TROJAN WAR. 331 

but little hope of finding him alive. They nevertheless wended 
their way to the cave where they had deposited him, where, to 
their unbounded surprise, they still found him. The wound had 
not healed, but he had managed to exist by killing such game 
as came within reach of his hand. 

"Exposed to the inclement skies, 

Deserted and forlorn he lies ; 

No friend or fellow-mourner there, 
To soothe his sorrows, and divide his care; 
Or seek the healing plant, of power to 'suage 
His aching wound, and mitigate its rage." 

Sophocles (Francklin's tr.). 

Incensed by the Greeks' former cruel desertion, no entreaty 
could now induce Philoctetes to accompany the messengers to 
Troy, until Hercules appeared to. him in a dream, and bade him 
go without delay, for there he would find Machaon (p. 64), 
^Esculapius' son, who was to heal his wound. 

The dream was realized. Philoctetes, whole once more, joined 
the Greek host, and caused great dismay in the enemy's ranks 
with his poisoned arrows. One of his deadly Death of Paris 
missiles even struck Paris, and, as the poison en- and CE" 0116 - 
tered his veins, it caused him grievous suffering. Paris then re- 
membered that his first love, (Enone, who knew all remedies and 
the best modes of applying them, had once told him to send for 
her should he ever be wounded. He therefore sent for Ginone ; 
but she, justly offended by the base desertion and long neglect of 
her lover, refused her aid, and let him die in torture. When he 
was dead, QEnone repented of this decision ; and when the flames 
of his funeral pyre rose around him, she rushed into their midst, 
and was burned to death on his corpse. 

"But when she gain'd the broader vale and saw 
The ring of faces redden'd by the flames 
Infolding that dark body which had lain 
Of old in her embrace, paused — and then ask'd 
Falteringly, l Who lies on yonder pyre ? ' 



332 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

But every man was mute for reverence. 

Then moving quickly forward till the heat 

Smote on her brow, she lifted up a voice 

Of shrill command, ' Who burns upon the pyre ? 

Whereon their oldest and their boldest said, 

1 He, whom thou would'st not heal ! ' and all at once 

The morning light of happy marriage broke, 

Thro' all the clouded years of widowhood, 

And muffling up her comely head, and crying 

' Husband ! ' she leapt upon the funeral pile, 

And mixt herself with him and past in fire." 

Tennyson. 

Two of Priam's sons had already expired, and yet Troy had 

not fallen into the hands of the Greeks, who now heard an- 

The other prophecy, to the effect that Troy could never 

Palladium. j^ taken as long as the Palladium — a sacred statue 
of Minerva, said to have fallen from heaven — remained within 
its walls (p. 6o). So Ulysses and Diomedes in disguise effected 
an entrance into the city one night, and after many difficulties 
succeeded in escaping with the precious image. 

Men and chiefs, impatient of further delay, now joyfully hailed 
Ulysses' proposal to take the city by stratagem. They therefore 
The wooden secretly built a colossal wooden horse, within 
horse. whose hollow sides a number of brave warriors 

might lie concealed. The main army feigned weariness of the 
endless enterprise, and embarked, leaving the horse as a pre- 
tended offering to Minerva ; while Sinon, a shrewd slave, re- 
mained to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse within their 
gates and keep him there, a lasting monument of their hard-won 
triumph. 

To the unbounded joy of the long-besieged Trojans, the Greek 
fleet then sailed away, until the Island of Tenedos hid the ships 
from view. All the inhabitants of Troy poured out of the city 
to view the wooden horse, and question Sinon, who pretended 
to have great cause of complaint against the Greeks, and strongly 
advised them to secure their last offering to Minerva. 



THE TROJAN WAR. 333 

The Trojans hailed this idea with rapture; but Laocoon, a 
Trojan priest, implored them to leave the horse alone, lest they 
should bring untold evil upon their heads. 

" ' Wretched countrymen, 7 he cries, 
* What monstrous madness blinds your eyes ? 

Perchance — who knows ? — these planks of deal 
A Grecian ambuscade conceal, 
Or 'tis a pile to o'erlook the town, 
And pour from high invaders down, 
Or fraud lurks somewhere to destroy : 
Mistrust, mistrust it, men of Troy ! ' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Deaf to all warnings and entreaties, they dragged the colossal 
image into the very heart of their city, tearing down a portion 
of their ramparts to allow its passage, while Lao- Death of 
coon hastened down to the shore to offer sacrifice Laocoon. 
to the gods. As he stood there by the improvised altar, with 
one of his sons on either side to assist him in his office, two huge 
serpents came out of the sea, coiled themselves around him and 
his sons, and crushed and bit them to death. 

" Unswerving they 
Toward Laocoon hold their way; 
First round his two young sons they wreathe, 
And grind their limbs with savage teeth: 
Then, as with arms he comes to aid, 
The wretched father they invade 
And twine in giant folds : twice round 
His stalwart waist their spires are wound, 
Twice round his neck, while over all 
Their heads and crests tower high and tall. 
He strains his strength their knots to tear, 
While gore and slime his fillets smear, 
And to the unregardful skies 
Sends up his agonizing cries." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 




(334) 



LAOCOON. 

( Vatican, Rome.) 



THE TROJAN WAR. 33<5 

The awestruck witnesses of this terrible scene, of course, de- 
clared that the gods resented his interference concerning the 
wooden horse, and had justly punished the sacrilegious hand 
which had dared strike it with a spear, merely to demonstrate, 
that, being hollow, it might contain an armed band. Ever since 
then, Laocoon and his sons' struggle with the serpents has been 
a favorite subject for poets and artists. 

In the mean while, the Greeks had been hiding behind Tene- 
dos ; but when night came on, they returned to the site of their 
ten-vears' encampment, and were let into the city 

. . Fall of Troy. 

by Sinon, who also released their companions from 
their prison within the wooden horse. Although taken by sur- 
prise, the city guards made desperate attempts to repel the Greeks ; 
but it was now too late, for the enemy had already broken into 
houses and palaces, and were killing, pillaging, and burning all in 
their way. 

" The melancholy years, 
The miserable melancholy years, 
Crept onward till the midnight terror came, 
And by the glare of burning streets I saw 
Palace and temple reel in ruin and fall, 
And the long-baffled legions, bursting in 
Through gate and bastion, blunted sword and spear 
With unresisted slaughter." 

Lewis Morris. 

The royal family, even, was not exempt from the general 
massacre ; and the aged Priam, who lived to see his last son 
perish before his eyes, finally found relief in death. 

Their object accomplished, the Greeks immediately sailed for 
home, their vessels heavily laden with plunder and slaves. But 
the homeward journey was not as joyful as might Return of the 
have been expected ; and many, after escaping Greeks, 
from the enemy's hands, perished in the waves, or found death 
lying in wait for them by their own fireside. 

Menelaus, with his wife Helen, who, in spite of the added ten 



33 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

years, retained all her youthful beauty, were detained in Egypt by 
contrary winds, sent to punish them for omitting the usual sacri- 
fice to the gods. He at last consulted Proteus, who revealed 
how the wrath of the gods could best be allayed, and how favor- 
able winds could be secured to waft him home. 

As for Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, he returned to Argos 
only to be murdered by his wife Clytaemnestra and her paramour 
^Egisthus. 

" ' yEgisthus, bent upon my death, 
Plotted against me with my guilty wife, 
And bade me to his house, and slew me there, 
Even at the banquet.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr. ). 

Then, mortally afraid lest Orestes, Agamemnon's son, should 
avenge his father's death, yEgisthus prepared to slay him too ; but 
Electra, the boy's sister, discovering this intention, helped him 
to escape, and placed him under the fatherly protection of Stro- 
phius, King of Phocis, whose son, Pylades, became his insepara- 
ble friend. In fact, their devotion to each other was so great, 
that it has become proverbial in every tongue. 

Electra had not forgotten her father's base murder, although 
years had elapsed since it occurred ; and when Orestes had 
attained manhood, she bade him come and punish those who had 
committed the crime. Orestes came, slew ^Egisthus and Clytaem- 
nestra, and then, terrified at what he had done, took flight, but 
only to be pursued by the Furies and Nemesis, goddess of re- 
venge, sent by the gods to punish him for taking justice into his 
own hands. 

Arrived at Delphi, Orestes consulted the oracle, and learned 
that his crime would be forgiven if he brought a statue of Diana 
in Tauris back to Greece. The young prince hastened thither, 
accompanied by the ever-faithful Pylades, who never left his side ; 
and there, in a temple, he found his long-lost sister Iphigenia, 
who helped him obtain the image he sought, and accompanied 
him back to his native land, where Nemesis left him forever. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 

The Greek chiefs, on their return from Troy, were, as we have 
seen, all more or less visited by the wrath of the gods ; but none 
of them endured as many hardships as Ulysses (Odysseus), King 
of Ithaca, the hero of Homer's world-renowned epic the Odyssey. 
During ten long years he roamed the seas, driven away from his 
native land by adverse winds, sailing about from place to place, 
losing his ships and companions, until at last the gods allowed 
him to return home. His marvelous adventures and numerous 
mishaps during these ten years form the theme of the Odyssey, 
which is about as follows. 

After leaving Troy in ruins, Ulysses embarked with his men 
and spoils, and, favored by a good wind, soon came within sight 
of Ismarus, the home of the worthy and wealthy Siege of 
Ciconians. To increase the riches he was carry- ismarus. 
ing home, he proposed to his army to land and storm the city, — 
a proposal which was enthusiastically received and immediately 
carried out. 

But when the men collected near the fleet, instead of embarking 
as Ulysses urged them to do, they began to drink the rich wine, 
to roast oxen whole, and to indulge in games and revelry. While 
they were thus employed and entirely off their guard, the neigh- 
bors and allies of the Ciconians came upon them unawares, and 
put many to death. 

The Greeks, although taken by surprise, fought bravely ; but 
it was only when the sun was fast sinking, that they finally em- 
barked, and left the fatal Ciconian shores. 

337 



338 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

" Onward we sailed, lamenting bitterly 
Our comrades slain, yet happy to escape 
From death ourselves." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

A hurricane soon arose. The flying clouds blotted the stars 
from view. The vessels, with broken masts and torn sails, were 
The driven far out of their course, and, after ten days, 

Lotus-eaters. re ached the land of the Lotophagi or Lotus-eat- 
ers, — a people whose sole food consisted of lotus fruit and 
blossoms. 

Three of Ulysses' best men were sent ashore to reconnoiter ; 
but they had not gone very far before they met the natives, seated 
under their favorite trees, banqueting on their sweet food. These 
received the strangers hospitably, and made them partake of the 
lotus blossoms ; but no sooner had the three men done so, than all 
recollection of their waiting companions or distant homes passed 
from their minds, while a dreamy, lethargic sensation stole over 
them, and made them long to recline there and feast forever. 

"Whoever tasted once of that sweet food 
Wished not to see his native country more, 
Nor give his friends the knowledge of his fate. 
And then my messengers desired to dwell 
Among the Lotus-eaters, and to feed 
Upon the lotus, never to return." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Ulysses impatiently watched for their return ; then, seeing they 
did not appear, feared some evil had befallen them, and set out, 
with a few well-armed men, to go in search of them. Instead of 
finding them in chains, as he fully expected, he soon perceived 
them feasting among the Lotus-eaters. Their eyes had lost all 
animation, and rested upon him in a vague, dreamy way, which 
aroused his suspicions. At the same moment some of the Lotus- 
eaters advanced to invite him and his troop to join in their 
feast. 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 339 

" Branches they bore of that enchanted stem, 
Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave 
To each, but whoso did receive of them, 
And taste, to him the gushing of the wave 
Far, far away did seem to mourn and rave 
On alien shores ; and if his fellow spake, 
His voice was thin, as voices from the grave ; 
And deep asleep he seem'd, yet all awake, 
And music in his ears his beating heart did make." 

Tennyson. 

In peremptory tones Ulysses quickly forbade his men to taste 
of the magic food, directed them to seize and bind their unwilling 
comrades, and forcibly take them back to their ships. There the 
magic effect of the lotus food soon wore away, and the men 
rowed steadily westward, until they came to the Island of Sicily, 
then inhabited by the Cyclopes, a rude race of one-eyed giants. 

" A single ball of sight was fix'd 
In their mid-forehead: hence the Cyclops' name: 
For that one circular eye was broad infix'd 
In the mid-forehead: — strength was theirs, and force, 
And craft of curious toil." 

Hesiod (Elton's tr.). 

The main part of the fleet was stationed at another island not 
far distant, but Ulysses and twelve companions landed in Sicily 
in search of food. The prospect was promising, for on the plains 
and hillsides great flocks of sheep cropped the tender grass ; and 
Ulysses and his followers soon came to a great cave filled with 
rich stores of milk and cheese. This was the abode of Poly- 
phemus, son of Neptune, the largest and fiercest among the 
gigantic Cyclopean race. The Greeks' first impulse was to help 
themselves, since no one was there to say them nay ; but they 
finally decided to await the master's home-coming, and cour- 
teously ask his assistance. They had moored their vessel under 
an overhanging cliff, where no one would be likely to find it, 
and had therefore no fear lest their means of escape should be 
cut off. 




(340) 



TRIUMPH OF GALATEA.— Raphael. 



ADVENTURES OE ULYSSES. 34 l 

Polyphemus, the ugly giant in whose cave they were waiting, 
had once seen the charming sea nymph Galatea riding in her 
pearl-shell chariot drawn by bounding dolphins. Polyphemus 
Her unsurpassed loveliness made a vivid impres- and Galatea - 
sion upon him, and he was soon deeply in love with her. He 
neglected his flocks, shunned his companions, and spent all his 
time near the seashore, watching for her, and bitterly cursing his 
fate, which prevented his seeking her in her native element, for 
the gods had cursed the race of Cyclops with an unconquerable 
aversion to water. -He 

— "lov'd 
Not in the little present-making style, 
With baskets of new fruit and pots of roses, 
But with consuming passion. Many a time 
Would his flocks go home by themselves at eve, 
Leaving him wasting by the dark seashore, 
And sunrise would behold him wasting still." 

Theocritus (Hunt's tr.). 

To induce Galatea to leave the salt sea waves and linger by 
his side on the white sandy beach, Polyphemus constantly made 
the most extravagant promises ; but the dainty nymph merely 
laughed at all his professions, and strolled on the shore only 
when he was sound asleep. Although she made fun of his love, 
she was not so obdurate to the suit_of Acis, a very fascinating 
young shepherd, who had no need to call her repeatedly ; for she 
always yielded to his first appeal, joyfully joined him, and sat 
beside him under the shade of some great rock, listening to his 
tender wooing. 

Polyphemus once accidentally came upon them thus, ere they 
were aware of his proximity. For a moment he glared down 
upon them ; then, seizing a huge rock, he vowed his rival Acis 
should not live to enjoy the love which was denied him, and 
hurled it down upon the unsuspecting lovers. Galatea, the god- 
dess, being immortal, escaped unhurt ; but poor Acis, her beloved, 
was crushed to death. The stream of blood from his mangled 





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(342) 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 343 

remains was changed by the gods into an exhaustless stream 
of limpid water, which ever hastened down to the sea to join 
Galatea. 

Ulysses and his companions, waiting in the cave, soon felt the 
ground shake beneath their feet, and saw the sheep throng into 
the cave and take their usual places ; then behind Polyphemus' 
them came the horrible apparition of Polyphemus, cave - 

who picked up a huge rock and placed it before the opening of 
the cave, preventing all egress. Ulysses' companions had shrunk 
with fear into the darkest corners of the cave, whence they 
watched the giant milk his ewes, dispose of his cheeses, and 
make his evening meal. But the firelight soon revealed the in- 
truders ; and Polyphemus immediately demanded who they were, 
whence they came, and what they were seeking. 

Ulysses, ever wily, replied that his name was No man, that he 
and his companions were shipwrecked mariners, and that they 
would fain receive his hospitality. In answer to this statement, 
the Cyclops stretched forth his huge hand and grasped two of the 
sailors, whom he proceeded to devour for dessert. Then, his 
frightful repast being ended, he lay down on the rushes and 
fell asleep, his loud snores reverberating like thunder through 
the great cave. 

Ulysses silently crept to his side, sword in hand, and was about 
to kill him, when he suddenly recollected that neither he nor 
his men could move the rock at the cave's mouth, and that they 
would never be able to escape. He therefore resolved to have 
recourse to a stratagem. 

When morning came, the giant rose, milked his flock, made his 
cheese, arranged the vessels, and then, without the least warning, 
again seized and devoured two of the Greeks. His brawny arm 
next pushed aside the rock, and he stood beside it with watchful 
eye, until all his herd had passed out ; then, replacing the stone 
to prevent the escape of his prisoners, he went off to the distant 
pasture ground. 

During his absence, Ulysses and his men devised a cunning 



344 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

plan whereby they hoped to effect their escape, and made all 
their preparations to insure its complete success. A huge pine 
club which they found in the cave was duly pointed, hardened 
in the fire, and set aside for future use. 

When the darkness began to fall over the earth, Polyphemus 
again rolled the stone away to admit his flocks, keeping careful 
guard upon the Greeks. The sheep all in, he replaced the rock, 
performed his usual evening duties, and then devoured two of 
Ulysses' crew. 

When this part of the evening meal was over, Ulysses drew near 
and offered him a leather flask full of heady wine, which the giant 
Ulysses blinds to °k down at a gulp, little suspecting its effect. 
Polyphemus. y er y soon he sank into a deep drunken sleep ; and 
then the men, at a sign from Ulysses, heated the point of the huge 
club and put out his sole eye, in spite of his frightful cries and 
execrations, which soon attracted the attention of the other 
Cyclopes. 

They thronged without the cave, clamoring to know who was 
hurting him. " No man ! " replied the Cyclops, howling with 
pain, " No man ! " which answer convinced his would-be helpers 
that he needed no assistance, and made them disperse. 

" ' If no man does thee violence, and thou 
Art quite alone, reflect that none escape 
Diseases; they are sent by Jove.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Deserted by his companions, Polyphemus spent the night in 

agony ; and. when the anxious lowing of his herd roused him 

uiysses' at break of day, he fumblingly milked them, and 

escape. prepared to let them go forth, as usual, in search 

of their morning meal. To avoid the Greeks escaping, he rolled 

the stone only partly aside, and allowed the sheep to pass out a 

few at a time, carefully running his hand over each broad back 

to make sure that none of the prisoners were mounted upon them. 

Ulysses, in the mean while, having observed this maneuver, 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 345 

fastened his companions under the rams, reserving one for his 
own use, and watched them pass out one after the other unde- 
tected. Then, clinging to the wool of the largest ram, he too 
was slowly dragged out ; while Polyphemus petted the ram, and 
inquired how he came to pass out last of all. 

" ' My favorite ram, how art thou now the last 
To leave the cave ? It hath not been thy wont 
To let the sheep go first, but thou didst come 
Earliest to feed among the flowery grass, 
Walking with stately strides, and thou wert first 
At the fresh stream, and first at eve to seek 
The stable ; now thou art the last of all. 
Grievest thou for thy master, who has lost 
His eye, put out by a deceitful wretch 
And his vile crew?' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Ulysses, having thus escaped, sprang to his feet, set his com- 
panions free, rushed with them down to the seashore, taking the 
choice animals on board, and then, when his men had rowed 
some distance, raised his voice and taunted Polyphemus, reveal- 
ing at the same time his identity. 

u 'Ha! Cyclops ! those whom in thy rocky cave 
Thou, in thy brutal fury, hast devoured, 
Were friends of one not unexpert in war; 
Amply have thy own guilty deeds returned 
Upon thee. Cruel one ! who didst not fear 
To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof, 
Jove and the other gods avenge them thus ! 

Cyclops, if any man of mortal birth 
Note thine unseemly blindness, and inquire 
The occasion, tell him that Laertes' son, 
Ulysses, the destroyer of walled towns, 
Whose home is Ithaca, put out thine eye.'" 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

With a cry of rage, Polyphemus then ran down to the shore, 
tore up some huge rocks, which he hurled in the direction whence 



34 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the taunting voice came, and in his rage almost destroyed the 
Greeks ; for one piece of rock fell very near their vessel, and 
they were forced to redouble their efforts to row out of reach 
and prevent disaster. 

The Greeks now sailed on until they reached the ^Eolian 

Islands, where dwelt ^Eolus, king and father of the winds. He 

had heard of Ulysses' prowess, received him kindly, 

Gift of ^Eolus. .... J 

and at parting gave him a leather bag containing 
all the contrary winds, which Ulysses was thus at liberty to 
retain imprisoned until he had safely reached home (p. 214). 

Day and night Ulysses' barks now bounded over the blue 
waves. On the ninth evening the shores of Ithaca were dis- 
cerned by the eager eyes on board, and all made their prepa- 
rations for landing early the next morning. For the first time 
since he had left the y^Eolian shores, Ulysses now indulged in 
sleep ; and while he was lost in oblivion his sailors opened the 
leather bag, intending to rob their master of a portion of his 
treasure, for they imagined that yEolus had given him much 
gold. 

The bag was no sooner opened, than the contrary winds, weary 
and cramped with their uncomfortable position, sprang out with a 
rush and a roar, and in a few moments stirred up a terrible 
storm, which tore the ships from their anchors, and soon drove 
them far out to sea. 

After untold suffering, the Greeks landed again upon the 
^Eolian Isle, and Ulysses sought the king, to beseech his aid 
once more ; but this time the god received him coldly, and bade 
him depart, as his cruelty to Polyphemus had awakened the 
gods' wrath. 

" ' Hence with thee ! Leave our island instantly, 
Vilest of living men ! It may not be 
That I receive or aid as he departs 
One who is hated by the blessed gods, — 
And thou art hated by the gods. Away!'" 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 34 7 

Sorrowfully now the Greeks embarked ; but, instead of being 
hurried along by favorable winds, they were obliged to row 
against wind and waves, and only after many days The 

came to the land of the Lsestrygonians, where fresh Laestrygomans. 
losses awaited them. These people were cannibals, who were in 
the habit of slaying all the strangers who visited their shores, to 
satisfy their horrible appetites. When they saw the vessels enter 
their harbor, they sunk some of them by casting huge rocks at 
them from their tall cliffs, and speared and devoured the unfor- 
tunate crews. 

Ulysses, ever cautious, had lingered without the harbor ; and 
when, from afar, he saw his companions' horrible fate, he bade 
his men strike the waves with their "sounding oars" and escape. 

The Greeks went on again until they came to JEsea., an island 
inhabited by the golden-haired enchantress Circe, sister of ^Eetes, 
and aunt of Medea. Here Ulysses' crew was di- circe, the 
vided into two parties, one of which, led by Eury- enchantress 
lochus, set out to explore the island, while the other, headed by 
Ulysses„remained to guard the ships. Through a dense forest, 
peopled with strangely gentle wild beasts, Eurylochus led his 
force, until they came in sight of the beautiful palace home 
of Circe. From afar they could hear her sweet voice raised in 
song, as she wove a beautiful web for her own adornment : so 
they pressed eagerly on, and entered the palace hall, Eurylochus 
alone lingering on the porch, fearing lest some fraud might sud- 
denly be revealed. 

Circe received her self-invited guests most graciously, seated 
them on tapestry-covered couches, and bade her numerous hand 
maidens speedily set before them all manner of good cheer, — an 
order which was immediately carried out. The men feasted greed- 
ily, for they had fasted for many days, and Circe watched them with 
ill-concealed disgust. Suddenly she started from her seat, waved 
her wand over their heads, and bade them assume the form of 
swine (which obscene animals their gluttony suggested), and hie 
them to their sties. 



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(348) 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 349 

"Then instantly 
She touched them with a wand, and shut them up 
In sties, transformed to swine in head and voice, 
Bristles and shape, though still the human mind 
Remained to them. Thus sorrowing they were driven 
Into their cells, where Circe flung to them 
Acorns of oak and ilex, and the fruit 
Of cornel, such as nourish wallowing swine." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Eurylochus, meanwhile, vainly awaited their return, and finally 
resolved to go back alone to the ships and report what had hap- 
pened. Sword in hand, Ulysses then set out alone to rescue his 
comrades ; but he had not gone far before he met a youth, — 
Mercury in disguise, — who warned him not to approach any 
nearer Circe, and told him of his companions' transformation. 

As Ulysses would not be dissuaded from his purpose, Mercury 
gave him some moly, an herb warranted to pre- uiyssesand 
serve him from Circe's magic spells, and sundry Circe, 

important directions, which were all duly listened to and observed. 

Pressing onward, Ulysses reached the palace, entered the ban- 
quet rqom, drank Circe's mixture, which was rendered ineffective 
by the moly's power, and, when she waved her wand over his 
head and bade him join his fellows, drew his sword and rushed 
upon her, threatening to take her life if she did not immediately 
restore his friends to their human forms, and promise to do them 
no further harm. 

Circe, terrified at the threat, agreed to comply with all his 
demands ; and in a few moments Ulysses was again surrounded 
by his companions, who were touchingly grateful for their rescue. 
Circe now prepared a second feast, and entertained them all so 
well, that Ulysses lingered there for one whole year. 

" And there from day to day 
We lingered a full year, and banqueted 
Nobly on plenteous meats and delicate wines." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 



35° CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

At the end of that time, Ulysses' companions began to long 

for their own homes, and prevailed upon their chief to leave the 

uiysses visits fair enchantress Circe. At first she was loath to let 

Cimmena. ^im g Q . j-,^ see i n g tnat h er efforts to detain him 
longer would be of no avail, she bade him seek the Cimmerian 
shores, and there consult the seer Tiresias. This land, which lay- 
on the confines of Pluto's dark realm, was inhabited by shadows, 
the spirits of the dead, condemned to sojourn there a while ere 
they were admitted into Hades.' 

Ulysses embarked, and, according to Circe's directions, let his 
vessel drift along until its prow grated on a pebbly beach, where 
he landed. Then, walking straight before him, he came to a 
spot whence he could hear the roar of the Phlegethon as it joined 
the Acheron, and here he dug a trench with his sword. 

The trench finished, he killed two black victims, furnished by 
Circe, and made their blood flow into the trench. Immediately 
all the spirits crowded about him, eager to drink the fresh blood ; 
but Ulysses, with drawn sword, forced them back, until at last 
Tiresias, the blind seer, approached. 

He was allowed to stoop down and drink ; and, as soon as he 
had done so, he recovered the power of human speech, and warned 
Ulysses of the many trials still awaiting him. Then, his prophecy 
concluded, he vanished; but Ulysses lingered a little longer to 
allow his mother to drink some blood, and explain how she came 
to be here in the spirit land. 

Many others came and conversed with him ; but at last he was 
forced to depart, and return to JEsea., where he lingered to perform 
the funeral rites for Elpenor, — one of his followers, a youth 
who had fallen asleep on one of the palace turrets, and by an in- 
advertent movement had fallen to the ground, where he had been 
found dead. 

These obsequies over, the Greeks, favored by a fresh wind, left 

Circe's isle, and sailed along until they drew near 

the rocky ledge where the Sirens had their abode. 

These maidens were wont to sit on the rocks and sing entrancing 




SIREN. — (Acropolis Museum, Athens.) 



<35D 



352 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

songs, which allured the mariners until they turned aside from 
their course, and their vessels were dashed to pieces on the rocks. 

According to Circe's advice, Ulysses bade his men bind him 
fast to the mast, disregard his cries and gestures of command, 
and keep on their course until the dangerous rocks were lost to 
view ; but, before he allowed them to execute these orders, he 
stopped their ears with melted wax, so they could not hear a 
sound, for he alone could .hear the Sirens' song and live. 

The men then bound him hand and foot to the mast, returned 
to their oars, and rowed steadily on. Soon the Sirens' melody 
fell upon Ulysses' charmed ears ; but, although he commanded 
and implored his men to set him free and alter their course, they 
kept steadily on until no sound of the magic song could reach 
them, when they once more set their leader free. 

Now, although this danger had been safely passed, Ulysses 
was troubled in spirit, for he knew he would soon be obliged 

Charybdis to steer his course between two dread monsters, 

and Scyiia. Charybdis and Scylla, who lay so close together, 
that, while striving to avoid one, it was almost impossible not to 
fall an easy prey to the other. 

Charybdis' den lay under a rock crowned with a single wild 
fig tree ; and three times daily she ingulfed the surrounding 
waters, drawing even large galleys into her capacious jaws^ 

As for Scylla, she too dwelt in a cave, whence hex.six.ugly 
heads protruded to devour any prey that came within reach. 

" No mariner can boast 
That he has passed by Scylla with a crew 
Unharmed ; she snatches from the deck, and bears 
Away in each grim mouth, a living man." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

This selfsame Scylla, once a lovejy^majden, had won the heart 
of the sea god Glaucus (p. 303), but coquettishly tormented him 
until he implored Circe to give him some love potion strong 
enough to compel her love. 



ADVENTURES OE ULYSSES. 353 

Circe, who had long nursed a secret passion for Glaucus, was 
angry at him, and jealous of her rival, and, instead of a love 
potion, prepared a loathsome drug, which she bade him pour 
into the water where Scylla was wont to bathe. Glaucus faithfully 
did as she commanded ; but when Scylla plunged into the water, 
her body, and not her feelings, changed, and she became a loath- 
some monster, a terror to gods and men. 

When in sight of the fig tree, Ulysses, cased in armor, stood 
on the prow to attack Scylla should she attempt to seize one 
of his crew. The sound of the rushing waters whirling around 
Charybdis made all on board tremble with fear, and the pilot 
steered nearer still to dread Scylla's den. 

Suddenly a piercing cry was heard, as the monster seized six 
of the men and devoured them. The rest passed on unharmed ; 
but since then, in speaking of conflicting dangers, it has been 
customary to use the expression, " falling from Charybdis into 
Scylla." 

Only too glad to effect an escape at any price, the Greeks 
again rowed on until they sighted Trinacria, the island of the sun, 
where Phaetusa and Lampetia watched over the cattieofthe 
sun god's sacred herds. The men wished to land sun - 

here to rest ; but Ulysses reminded them that Tiresias, the blind 
seer, had warned them to avoid it, lest by slaying any of the 
sacred animals they should incur divine wrath. 

The men, however, worn out with the toil of many days' row- 
ing, entreated so piteously to be allowed to rest, voluntarily 
pledging themselves to be content with their own provisions and 
not to slay a single animal, that Ulysses reluctantly yielded to 
their entreaties, and all went ashore. 

After they had duly rested, they were still detained by un- 
favorable winds, until all their provisions were exhausted, and 
the few birds and fishes they managed to secure no longer sufficed 
to still the pangs of hunger. 

Led by Eurylochus, some of the men, during one of Ulysses' 
temporary absences, caught and slew some of the sun god's 



354 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

cattle. To the general amazement and terror, the meat lowed 
while roasting on the spit, and the empty skins moved and crawled 
as if alive. All these sounds and sights could not, however, deter 
the sailors, who were bound to have a good feast, which they 
kept up for seven days, ere Ulysses could make them leave the 
Trinacrian shores. 

In the mean while, Lampetia had hastened to Apollo to apprise 
him of the crime committed by Ulysses' men. In anger he ap- 
peared before the assembled gods and demanded amends, threat- 
ening to withdraw the light of his countenance if he were not 
properly indemnified. Jupiter, to appease his hot anger, imme- 
diately promised that all the offenders should perish. 

" ' Still shine, O Sun ! among the deathless gods 
And mortal men, upon the nourishing earth. 
Soon will I cleave, with a white thunderbolt, 
Their galley in the midst of the black sea ! ' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

This promise he immediately fulfilled by drowning all except 
Ulysses, who alone had not partaken of the sacred flesh, and 
who, after clinging to the rudder for nine long days, a plaything 
for the wind and waves, was washed ashore on the Island of 
Ogygia, where the fair sea nymph Calypso had taken up her 
abode. 

There he was kindly and most hospitably entertained during 

eight long years ; but he could not depart, as he had no vessel or 

uiysses and crew to bear him away. At last Minerva, who had 

Calypso. always befriended him, prevailed upon Jupiter to 
allow him to return to Ithaca. Mercury was sent to Ogygia to bid 
Calypso furnish all things necessary for his comfort, and aid in 
the construction of a huge raft, whereon our hero found him- 
self afloat after many years of reluctant lingering on the land. 

All seemed well now ; but Neptune suddenly became aware 
that his old enemy, the torturer of Polyphemus, was about to 
escape from his clutches. With one blow of his trident he stirred 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 355 

up one of those sudden tempests whose fury nothing can with- 
stand, shattered Ulysses' raft, and buffeted him about on the 
waves, until the goddess Leucothea (p. 174), seeing his distress, 
helped him to reach the Phaeacian shore. 

Too weary to think of aught but rest, Ulysses dragged himself 
into a neighboring wood, where he fell asleep on a bed of dry 
leaves. While he was thus resting, Minerva visited Nausicaa and 
Nausicaa, daughter of Alcinous, King of the Phaea- Ulysses. 
cians,-in a dream, and bade her go down to the shore and wash 
her linen robes in readiness for her wedding day, which the god- 
dess assured her was near at hand. Nausicaa obeyed, and 
drove with her maidens down to the shore, where, after their 
labors were duly finished, they all indulged in a game of ball, 
with the usual accompaniment of shrill cries and much laughter. 
Their cries awoke Ulysses, who came on the scene just in time 
to save their ball from the waves, and claimed Nausicaa's pro- 
tection for a shipwrecked mariner. 

She graciously permitted him to follow her to her father's pal- 
ace, and presented him to Alcinous and Arete, who bade him 
welcome, and invited him to join in the games then taking place. 
He did so, and displayed such strength and skill that his identity 
was revealed. Alcinous then promised to send him safely home 
in a Phaeacian bark, which reached Ithaca in safety, and depos- 
ited Ulysses, asleep, on his native shore. 

When Neptune discovered that the Phaeacians had outwitted 
him, he was so angry that he changed the return- The petrified 
ing vessel into a rock, which blocked the harbor ship> 

and put an end to further maritime excursions on their part. 

"He drew near 
And smote it with his open palm, and made 
The ship a rock, fast rooted in the bed 
Of the deep sea." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Disguised as a beggar by Minerva's kindly care, Ulysses sought 
the lowly dwelling of Eumaeus. his swineherd, and from him 




OS*) 



PENELOPE. 
( Vatican, Rome. 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 357 

learned all he wished to know about his wife and son. He heard 
that Penelope was fairly besieged with suitors, who were even 
now feasting and reveling in his palace, whence uiysses' return 
they refused to depart until she had made choice to Ithaca - 
of a second husband ; and also that Telemachus, now a young 
man, indignant and displeased with the suitors' conduct, and 
guided and accompanied by his tutor Mentor, had set out in 
search of the father whom he could not believe dead. 

Mentor was Minerva in disguise, who guided the young man 
to the courts of Nestor and Menelaus, and finally in a dream 
bade him return to Ithaca, where he would find the parent he 
sought. The young prince immediately obeyed, and landed near 
Eumseus' hut, escaping a clever ambuscade posted by the suitors 
at the entrance of the port. 

Minerva now permitted the father and son to recognize each 
other, in spite of their twenty years' separation, and together they 
planned how best to punish the insolent suitors. They finally 
agreed that Telemachus should return to the palace and make no 
mention of his father's return ; while Ulysses, still in the guise of 
a beggar, should enter his home and claim the usual hospitality. 

All was executed as they had planned. No one recognized 
the long-expected hero in the miserable old beggar — no one save 
his aged nurse Euryclea, and his faithful old dog Argus, who 
died for joy at his long-lost master's feet. 

" While over Argus the black night of death 
Came suddenly as soon as he had seen 
Ulysses, absent now for twenty years." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

Penelope, hearing that a stranger was within her gates, sent for 
him, to inquire whether he knew aught of her husband. She too 
failed to pierce his disguise, and languidly contin- Penelope's 
ued a piece of work which she cleverly used to web - 

baffle her suitors ; for once, when urged to marry, she had replied 
that she would do so as soon as her work was finished. 



35 8 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

As she was a diligent worker, the suitors expected soon to hear 
her decision, little knowing that she raveled at night all the web 
so carefully woven during the day. 

" Three full years 
She practiced thus, and by the fraud deceived 
The Grecian youths." 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

At last the subterfuge was discovered, and the unfortunate 

Penelope was forced to finish her work ; but ere it was quite 

done, she found another expedient to postpone 

Ulysses' bow. . , 

her choice of a husband. She brought Ulysses 
bow, and announced that she would marry the man who could 
bend it and send an arrow through twelve rings which she pointed 

out. 

" ' I bring to you 
The mighty bow that great Ulysses bore. 
Whoe'er among you he may be whose hand 
Shall bend this bow, and send through these twelve rings 
An arrow, him I follow hence, and leave 
This beautiful abode of my young years, 
With all its plenty, — though its memory, 
I think, will haunt me even in my dreams.' " 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

The suitors all vainly strove to bend the mighty bow, which 

was then seized by the disguised Ulysses, while the youths 

Death of the laughed aloud in scorn, until Telemachus bade 

suitors. t ] iem i et tne ojd man try n i£ strength. To the 

amazement of all, Ulysses easily performed the required feat; 
and then, turning his aim toward Antinous, the handsomest and 
most treacherous of all the suitors, he pierced his heart. 

A scene of wild commotion ensued, in which Ulysses, Telem- 
achus, Eumaeus, and Minerva disguised as Mentor, opposed 
and slew all the wooers. Penelope, unconscious of all this 
bloodshed, slept in her room, until she was gently awakened by 
Euryclea, who announced the return of her long-absent husband. 



ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES. 359 

" ' Awake, Penelope, dear child, and see 
With thine own eyes what thou hast pined for long. 
Ulysses has returned; thy lord is here, 
Though late, and he has slain the arrogant crew 
Of suitors, who disgraced his house, and made 
His wealth a spoil, and dared insult his son.'" 

Homer (Bryant's tr.). 

But Penelope had too long believed her husband dead to 
credit this marvelous news ; and it was only after Ulysses had 
given her an infallible proof of his identity, by telling her a secret 
which was shared by her alone, that she received him. 

Ulysses was now safe at home, after twenty years of warfare 
and adventure, and at first greatly enjoyed the quiet and peace 
of his home life ; but after a while these tame joys uiysses' last 
grew wearisome, and he decided to renew his journey, 
wanderings. He therefore prepared a fleet, and sailed " out into 
the West," whence he never returned. The Greeks, however, 
averred that he had gone in search of the Isles of the Blest, 
where he dwelt in perfect peace, and enjoyed the constant so- 
ciety of heroes as brave and renowned as himself. 

" 'Come, my friends, 
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. 
Push off, and sitting well in order smite 
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds 
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths 
Of all the western stars, until I die. 
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down : 
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, 
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. 
Tho' much is taken, much abides : and tho' 
We are not now that strength which in old days 
Moved earth and heaven ; that which we are, we are; 
One equal temper of heroic hearts, 
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will 
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' " 

Tennyson. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



ADVENTURES OF AENEAS. 



You have already heard how the Greeks entered the city of 
Troy in the dead of night, massacred the inhabitants, and set fire 
to the beautiful buildings which had been the king's pride and 
delight. Now you shall hear how Virgil relates the escape of 
some of the Trojans from general destruction. 

Unconscious of coming danger,_^Eneas, son of Venus and 
Anchises, lay fast asleep in his palace ; but the gods had not 
doomed him to perish, and sent the shade of Hector to warn 
him in a dream to arise, leave the city, and fly to some distant 

land. 

" ' Ah, goddess-born,' he warns me, ' fly ! 
Escape these flames : Greece holds the walls ; 
Proud Ilium from her summit falls. 
Think not of king's or country's claims: 
Country and king, alas! are names : 
Could Troy be saved by hands of men, 
This hand had saved her then, e'en then. 
The gods of her domestic shrines 
That country to your care consigns: 
Receive them now, to share your fate : 
Provide them mansions strong and great, 
The city's walls, which Heaven has willed 
Beyond the seas you yet shall build.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Awakened at last by the ever-increasing tumult without, 
vEneas seized his arms and hastened forth, attended by many 
of his fellow-citizens, to ascertain the cause of the great uproar. 

360 



ADVENTURES OF ^ENEAS. 361 

A few minutes later he discovered that the Greek army had 
entered the town, and was even now killing, plundering, and 
burning without mercy. The men were all slain, ^ nea s goes to 
but the fairest women were dragged away to be save Priam - 
sold as slaves in Greece ; and among them ^Eneas beheld in the 
hands of Agamemnon's soldiers the unfortunate daughter of 
Priam, Cassandra, whom the gods had endowed with prophetic 
powers (p. 310), but whom no one would heed. 

./Eneas, seeing ere long that there was no hope of saving the 
doomed city, quickly disguised himself in a Greek armor which 
he tore from the corpse of one of his foes, and rushed on to the 
palace, hoping to save the aged king, who, at the first alarm, had 
seized his weapons, determined to fight to the very last. 

Hecuba, his wife, was clinging to him, imploring him to re- 
main, when suddenly Polites, their son, rushed into their presence, 
closely followed by Pyrrhus, or Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, 
who thrust his sword into the youth, and then murdered Priam 
also. 

" So Priam's fortunes closed at last: 

So passed he, seeing as he passed 

His Troy in flames, his royal tower 

Laid low in dust by hostile power, 

Who once o'er land and peoples proud 

Sat, while before him Asia bowed : 

Now on the shore behold him dead, 

A nameless trunk, a trunkless head." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

^Eneas, who arrived just too late to hinder this frightful catas- 
trophe, now suddenly remembered that a similar fate awaited his 
aged father Anchises, his wife Creusa, and little son lulus, who 
were at home without any protector near them. The hero there- 
fore madly cut his way through the foe, and rushed through the 
orice magnificent palace, which was now stripped of its rarest 
treasures and desecrated by an enemy's tread. 

There, in one of the abandoned halls, he saw Helen, the fair 



362 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

cause of all this war and bloodshed, — who, after Paris' death, had 
married Deiphobus, his brother, — and for a moment he deter- 
Venus appears mined to take her life; but ere he could do so, 

to^neas. Venus, his mother, stayed his hand, and bade him 
remember that the immortal gods had long ago decreed that the 
city should fall, and that Helen was merely the pretext used to 
induce the rival nations to fly to arms. 

Further to convince him of the truth of her assertions, she 
enabled him to see what was hidden from mortal eyes : i.e., 
Neptune, Minerva, Juno, and Jupiter even, fighting and level- 
ing the walls with mighty blows. She then vehemently implored 
her son to leave this scene of carnage, and fly, with his family and 
followers, to some safe place without the city, whence he could 
embark, and sail away to a more fortunate land ; and her entrea- 
ties finally prevailed. 

y£neas rushed home and bade his father prepare to leave Troy ; 
but Anchises obstinately refused to leave his post, until he saw 

Anchises* a bright flame hover for a moment above his 
escape. grandson's head, which sign he interpreted as an 
omen that his race should endure. He no longer resisted ; and, 
as he was too weak to walk, ^Eneas bade him hold the Lares 
and Penates, and, taking him on his back, carried him off, while 
with one hand he led his little son, and bade Creusa closely fol- 
low him. 

" ' Come, mount my shoulders, dear my sire : 
Such load my strength shall never tire. 
Now, whether fortune smiles or lowers, 
One risk, one safety shall be ours. 
My son shall journey at my side, 
My wife her steps by mine shall guide, 
At distance safe.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

A trysting place near a ruined temple had already been ap- 
pointed for his servants, and thither ^Eneas turned his steps. 
When he arrived there, he found many awaiting him, and counted 






ADVENTURES OE sENEAS. 363 

them carefully to make sure none were missing. All were there 
except Creusa, his beloved young wife ; and he retraced his steps 
with anxious haste, hoping to find her still alive. creusa's 
But on the threshold of his once happy home ghost. 

he met her disembodied spirit, and heard her bid him seek the 
banks of the Tiber, where a beautiful young bride would com- 
fort him for her loss. This speech ended, Creusa's ghost van- 
ished, and ^Eneas sadly returned to the ruined temple, where he 
found many fugitives ready to follow him wherever he went, 
and eager to obey his every command. Their preparations for 
departure were speedily completed, the sails unfurled, and the 
little exiled band soon lost sight of the shores of Troy. 

" Weeping I quit the port, the shore, 
The plains where Ilium stood before, 
And homeless launch upon the main, 
Son, friends, and home gods in my train." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.) 

Although they had escaped from burning Troy and the swords 
of the Greeks, their trials had only just begun. After many days' 
sailing, they landed in Thrace, viewed the country, Arrival in 
decided to settle there, and began to trace the Thrace, 
foundations of a new city, which they decided to call the ^Eneadae, 
in honor of their leader. 

Their next care was to offer a sacrifice to the gods ; but when 
^Eneas, with due ceremony, cut down a sapling, he was startled 
to see blood flow from its severed stem. At the same time a 
mysterious voice was heard, bidding him forbear, for his former 
friend Polydorus, sent to Thrace to conceal some treasures, had 
been murdered" there by an avaricious king, and this grove of 
trees had sprouted from the spear handles driven into his un- 
happy breast" 

After paying the customary funeral rites to appease the soul 
of his unfortunate friend, ^Eneas easily prevailed Delos and 
upon his followers to leave these inhospitable shores Crete, 

and seek another resting place. They rowed over the briny 



364 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

deep until they came to Delos, where they stopped to consult 
the oracle, who bade them seek the cradle of their race, and set- 
tle there. 

" ' Stout Dardan hearts, the realm of earth 
Where first your nation sprang to birth, 
That realm shall now receive you back : 
Go, seek your ancient mother's track. 
There shall Eneas' house, renewed 
For ages, rule a world subdued.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

This obscure command left them uncertain what course to 
pursue, until the aged Anchises remembered that one of his an- 
cestors, Teucer, had once reigned in Crete. Thither they sailed, 
and hoped to settle ; but a terrible pestilence came upon them, 
and decimated their already sparse ranks.' 

One night ^Eneas had a vision, in which his household gods 

bade him seek the Italian or Hesperian shores; and when, on 

ffineas - waking, he imparted this advice to Anchises, the 

vision. latter remembered a long-forgotten prophecy of 

Cassandra, purporting that they would settle there, and also that 

Dardanus, their first progenitor, was reported to have come from 

thence. 

"There is a land, by Greece of old 
Surnamed Hesperia, rich its mold, 

Its children brave and free : 
CEnotrians were its settlers : fame 
Now gives the race its leader's name, 

And calls it Italy. 
Here Dardanus was born, our king, 
And old Iasius, whence we spring: 

Here our authentic seat." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Ere many days ^Eneas and his trusty followers were once 
more afloat, and forced to battle with fierce storms sent by Juno 
to hinder their advance. Exhausted, they landed on the Stro- 
phades Islands, where they proposed to recruit their strength by 



ADVENTURES OF ^ENEAS. 365 

a hearty meal ; but no sooner was their table spread, than the 
meats were devoured and destroyed by the loathsome Harpies. 
A terrible prophecy uttered by Celseno, one of ceieeno, 
these monsters, — half woman and half bird, — the Har Py- 
made them embark again in great haste, and row on until they 
came to Epirus, where they again effected a landing. In this 
country they met the sorrowing Andromache, Hector's widow, 
the slave of King Helenus, who entertained them royally and 
sent them on their way again, with many kindly cautions to beware 
of the Cyclopes and avoid Charybdis and Scylla by circumnavi- 
gating the whole island of Sicily. 

This advice was duly followed by ^Eneas, who, while rounding 
one of the promontories of the island, saw and rescued Achemen- 
ides, one of Ulysses' companions, accidentally left Rescue of 
behind when they escaped from the rage of Poly- Achemenides. 
phemus, the Cyclops. This giant now came down to the shore, 
and was regarded with unconcealed horror by the Trojans, who 
rowed away in haste. Soon after, yEneas moored his ships in the 
harbors of Sicania and Drepanum, and while there lost his. aged 
father Anchises. 

"There 
I lose my stay in every care, 
My sire Anchises ! " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Juno, in the mean while, had not been idle, and gloated over 
the dangers she had forced the unhappy Trojans to encounter 
during the seven years which had already elapsed since they first 
sailed from Troy. She was not yet weary of persecuting them, 
however ; and as soon as she saw them once more afloat, she 
hurried off to ^Eolus, and bade him let loose his fiercest children, 
and scatter the fleet by a terrible storm. 

" < O ^olus ! since the Sire of all 
Has made the wind obey thy call 

To raise or lay the foam, 
A race I hate now plows the sea, 



366 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Transporting Troy to Italy 

And home gods reft of home : 
Lash thou thy winds, their ships submerge, 
Or toss them weltering o'er the surge.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

This request was immediately granted. The vessels, tossed 

hither and thither, lost sight of each other. Some were stranded, 

T he some sank, and still the tempest raged on with 

tempest. unabated fury, and death stared the unhappy Tro- 
jans in the face. The commotion on the deep finally aroused 
Neptune, who came to the surface just in time to see all the 
misfortunes which had overwhelmed ^Eneas. He imperiously 
sent the winds away, and lent a helping hand to float the stranded 
ships once more. 

" ' Back to your master instant flee, 
And tell him, not to him but me 
The imperial trident of the sea 
Fell by the lot's award.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

The Trojans, grateful for his timely aid, and reassured by the 
calm which now reigned supreme, steered for the nearest port, 
where they anchored their seven vessels, all that now remained 
of their once large fleet. 

^Eneas and Achates, his faithful friend, immediately set out to 
view the land, and ere long encountered Venus, disguised as a 

Arrival in mortal, who informed them that they had landed 
Libya. upon the Libyan coast, which was under the sway 

of Dido, a fugitive from Tyre. Dido's husband, Sychaeus, King 
of Tyre, the possessor of untold riches, had been murdered by 
Pygmalion, his brother-in-law ; but the queen was kept in com- 
plete ignorance of this crime, until visited in a dream by the shade 
of Sychaeus, which bade her fly with his treasures, whose place of 
concealment she alone knew. 

Dido obeyed the ghost's commands, and, accompanied by a 
number of faithful subjects, landed on the Libyan coast, where 



ADVENTURES OF yENEAS. 367 

she entreated the inhabitants to sell her as much land as an ox- 
hide would inclose. This seemingly modest request was im- 
mediately granted ; but the Libyans regretted their compliance 
when they saw the ox-hide cut up into tiny strips, which inclosed 
a considerable tract of land, the site of Dido's beautiful capital, 
Carthage. 

Thither Venus advised her son to proceed and claim the 
queen's protection, ^neas and Achates obediently hastened 
onward, and entered the town unseen, for Venus ^neas and 
had enveloped them both in a mist. Their atten- Dldo - 

tion was first attracted by the festive appearance of the people 
assembled together, and by the beauty of the queen, giving audi- 
ence to some of their companions, who had miraculously escaped 
from the waves. 

These men spoke to the queen of their renowned chief, whose 
fame had already reached her ear ; and she gladly promised to 
send out a search party to discover him, and aid him if necessary. 

" ' I will send 
And search the coast from end to end, 
If haply, wandering up and down, 
He bide in woodland or in town.* " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

At these gracious words, ^Eneas stepped forward, the mist van- 
ished, and he stood before the queen in all his manly beauty. 

Dido then led her guests to the banquet hall, where they re- 
counted their adventures by land and sea, while partaking of the 
viands and wines set before them. At this feast, Cupid, at 
Venus' request, assumed the face and form of lulus, ^Eneas' 
young son, and, reclining on the queen's bosom, secretly thrust 
one of his darts into her heart, and made her fall in love with 
^Eneas. 

Day after day now passed in revelry and pleasure, and still 
y£neas lingered by Dido's side, forgetful of the new kingdom 
he was destined to found. One whole year passed thus ; and the 




(368) 



ADVENTURES OF ^ENEAS. 369 

gods, impatient of delay, finally sent Mercury to remind ^Eneas 
of his duty. 

To avoid Dido's tears and recriminations, the hero kept his 
preparations for departure a complete secret, and finally set sail 
while she was wrapt in slumber. When she awoke and looked 
out of her palace window, it was only to see the last vessel sink 
beneath the horizon. 

Concealing her grief, and pretending an anger she did not feel, 
she bade her servants make a funeral pyre, and place upon it all 
the objects yEneas had used during his sojourn in Death of 
her palace ; then, on top of it all, she set an effigy Dido - 

of her false lover, set fire to the pyre, sprang into the midst of 
the flames, and there stabbed herself. 



tt t 



Yet let me die: thus/ thus I go 
Exulting to the shades below. 
Let the false Dardan feel the blaze 
That burns me pouring on his gaze, 
And bear along, to cheer his way, 
The funeral presage of to-day.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

From the mast of his vessel ^Eneas saw the rising column of 
smoke, and his heart sank within him ; for he suspected its fatal 
import, and honestly mourned the death of the beautiful queen. 

The Trojans sailed onward until the threatening clouds made 
them take refuge in the Sicanian port, where they celebrated the 
usual games to commemorate Anchises' death, Funeral 
which had occurred there just one year previous. games. 

While the men were engaged in the customary naval, foot, and 
horse races, boxing, wrestling, and archery matches, the women 
gathered together, and, instigated by Juno, began to bewail the 
hard lot which compelled them to encounter again the perils of 
the sea. Their discontent ultimately reached such a pitch that 
they set fire to the vessels. When ^Eneas heard of this new 
misfortune, he rushed down to the shore, tore his costly festal 



37© CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

garments, and cried to Heaven for assistance in this his time of 
direst need. 

'" Dread Sire, if Ilium's lorn estate 
Deserve not yet thine utter hate, 
If still thine ancient faithfulness 
Give heed to mortals in distress, 
Oh, let the fleet escape the flame ! 
Oh, save from death Troy's dying name ! ' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

This prayer was instantly answered by a sudden severe shower, 

which quenched the devouring flames. Soon after this miracle, 

Apparition of Anchises appeared to ^Eneas, and bade him leave 

Anchises. tfie women, children, and aged men in Sicily, and 

travel on to Cumse, where he was to consult the Sibyl, visit the 

Infernal Regions, and there receive further advice from him. 

" First seek the halls of Dis below, 
Pass deep Avernus' vale, and meet 
Your father in his own retreat." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

^Eneas again dutifully obeyed ; but when Venus saw him afloat 
once more, she hastened to Neptune, and bade him watch over 
her unfortunate son. Neptune listened very graciously to her 
appeal, and promised to take but one of all the many lives in- 
trusted to his care. That one was ^Eneas' pilot, Palinurus, who, 
falling asleep at the helm, fell overboard and was drowned. 

As for the fleet, it reached the Cumaean shore in safety ; and 

^Eneas hastened off to the Sibyl's cave, made known his wish 

The Cumsean to visit Hades, and entreated her to serve as his 

Sibyl. guide in that perilous journey. She consented, 

but at the same time informed him that he must first obtain a 

golden twig, which grew in a dark forest. 

" None may reach the shades without 
The passport of that golden sprout." 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 




CUM^EAN SIBYL.— Domenichino. 
( Borghese Gallery, Rome.) 



(371) 



37 2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Almost despairing, ^Eneas now prayed for assistance ; for how 
could he find a tiny golden sprig in the midst of the dense forest 
foliage without the gods' aid? In answer to this appeal, Venus, 
ever mindful of her son, sent two of her snowy doves to lead 
the way and alight on the tree, where ^Eneas readily found the 
object of his search. 

Armed with this branch as key, he and the Sibyl boldly en- 
tered the Lower Regions, where all the ghastly sights and 
sounds we have already described (p. 167) met them on every side. 
Charon quickly ferried them over the Acheron, on whose bank 
they saw the wandering shade of Palinurus, who had no obolus 
to pay his way across, and that of Dido, with a gaping wound 
in her breast. 

They did not pause, however, until they reached the Elysian 
Fields, where they found Anchises, gravely considering among 
the unborn souls those who were destined to animate his race 
and make it illustrious in the future. These he carefully pointed 
out to ^Eneas, foretelling their future achievements, and called 
by name Romulus, Brutus, Camillus, the Gracchi, Caesar, — in 
fact, all the heroes of Roman history. 

" Anchises showed JEneas, in long line, 
The illustrious shades of those who were to shine 
One day the glory of the Italian shore. " 

TOMAS DE IRIARTE. 

After a prolonged conversation with his father, JEneas returned 
to his companions, and led them to the mouth of the Tiber, whose 

Arrival in course they followed until they reached Latium, 
Latium. where their wanderings were to cease. Latinus, 
king of the country, received them hospitably, and promised the 
hand of his daughter Lavinia in marriage to JEneas. 

Lavinia was very beautiful, and had already had many suitors, 
among whom Turnus, a neighboring prince, boasted of the most 
exalted rank. The queen, Amata, specially favored this youth's 
suit ; and the king would gladly have received him for a son-in- 



ADVENTURES OF MNEAS. 373 

law, had he not twice been warned by the gods to reserve his 
daughter for a foreign prince, who had now appeared. 

In spite of all the years which had elapsed since Paris scorned 
her attractions and bribes (p. 307), Juno had not yet forgotten her 
hatred of the Trojan race, and, afraid lest her enemy's course 
should now prove too smooth, she sent Alecto, the Fury, down upon 
earth to stir up war, and goad Amata to madness. The Fury 
executed both commands, and Amata fled to the woods, where 
she concealed her daughter Lavinia, to keep her safe for Turnus, 
whom she preferred to ^Eneas. 

As lulus and some companions had unfortunately wounded 
the pet stag of Silvia, daughter of the head shepherd, a brawl 
ensued, which, fomented by Alecto, soon developed W ar with the 
into a bloody war. Hostilities having thus begun, Latins. 

Turnus, with the various Latin chiefs, immediately besought La.- 
tinus to open the gates of Janus' temple. He refused ; but Juno, 
afraid lest even now her plans might be set at naught, came 
down from Olympus, and with her own hand flung wide the 
brazen doors. This unexpected apparition kindled a general 
ardor ; new troops enlisted ; and even Camilla, the Volscian 
warrior-maiden, came to proffer her aid to Turnus. 

" Last marches forth for Latium's sake 

Camilla fair, the Volscian maid, 
A troop of horsemen in her wake 

In pomp of gleaming steel arrayed; 
Stern warrior queen ! " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

When but a babe in arms, Camilla had been carried off by her 
father, as he fled before the Volscian troops. When he came 
to the Amasenus River, he found his pursuers close story of 
at his heels. Tying his infant daughter to his spear, Camilla, 
he hurled her to the opposite bank, which, thanks to Diana's 
aid, she reached unharmed, while her father plunged into the 
waves to join her. In his gratitude to find her safe, he dedi- 
24 



374 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

cated her to Diana, who trained her to love the chase and all 
manly pursuits. 

Surprised to see Latinus' friendly offers of hospitality so sud- 
denly withdrawn, ^Eneas made rapid preparations for war, and 
sailed farther up the Tiber to secure the aid of Evander, king 
of the Tuscans, the hereditary foe of the Latins. This monarch, 
too old to lead his troops in person, nevertheless promised his 
aid, and sent his beloved son -Pallas in his stead to command the 
troops he supplied. 

Juno, still implacable, had in the mean while sent Iris to apprise 
Turnus of ^Eneas' departure, and to urge him to set fire to the 

Nisus and remainder of the fleet, — a suggestion which Turnus 

Euryaius. joyfully obeyed. The Trojans, headed by young 
lulus, Eneas' son, defended themselves with their usual courage ; 
but, seeing the enemy would soon overpower them, they dis- 
patched Nisus and Euryaius, two of their number, to warn ^Eneas 
of their danger, and entreat him to hasten up with his reinforce- 
ments. These unfortunate youths passed through the camp un- 
seen, but farther on fell into the hands of a troop of Volscian 
horsemen, who cruelly put them to death, and then hurried 
with the Rutules to lend assistance to Turnus. Next some of 
the Trojan vessels were fired by the enemy ; but, instead of 
being consumed by the flames, they were changed into water 
nymphs by the intervention of the gods, and, sailing down the 
Tiber, met ^Eneas, and warned him to hasten to his son's rescue. 

" His vessels change their guise, 
And each and all as Nereids rise." 

Virgil. 

In the mean while, Venus, who befriended the Trojans, had 

sought Vulcan's detested abode, and had prevailed upon him to 

The forge a beautiful armor for ^Eneas. On the shield, 

armor. which is minutely described in one of the books of 

Virgil's celebrated epic poem, the ^Eneid, were depicted many 

of the stirring scenes in the lives of the future descendants of 



ADVENTURES OF ^ENEAS. 375 

^Eneas, the heroes of Roman history. As soon as this armor was 
completed, Venus brought it to her son, who donned it with vis- 
ible pleasure, and, encouraged by his mother's words, prepared 
to meet the Latins and hold his own. 

Venus and Juno were not the only deities interested in the 
coming struggle ; for all the gods, having watched ^Eneas' career, 
were anxious about his fate. Seeing this, and fearful lest their 
interference should still further endanger the hero whom he 
favored, Jupiter assembled the gods on high Olympus, and 
sternly forbade their taking any active part in the coming strife, 
under penalty of his severe displeasure. 

^Eneas and his Tuscan allies arrived on the battle scene just 
in time to give the necessary support to the almost exhausted 
Trojans ; and now the fight raged more fiercely jEneas* 
than ever, and prodigies of valor were accom- arrival, 
plished on both sides, until finally young Pallas fell, slain by 
Turnus. When aware of the death of this promising young 
prince, ^Eneas' heart was -filled with grief, for he could imagine 
the sorrow of the aged Evander when he saw his son's corpse 
brought home for burial ; and he then and there registered a 
solemn vow to avenge Pallas' death by slaying Turnus, and im- 
mediately hastened forth to keep his word. 

In the mean while, Juno, suspecting what his purpose would 
be, and afraid to allow Turnus to encounter such a formidable 
antagonist as ^Eneas, had determined to lure her juno's 
favorite away from the field. To compass this, treachery, 
she assumed the form of ^Eneas, challenged Turnus, and, as soon 
as he began the fight, fled toward the river, and took refuge on 
one of the vessels, closely pursued by him. No sooner did she 
see the Rutule chief safe on board, than she loosed the vessel 
from its moorings, and allowed it to drift down the stream, bear- 
ing Turnus away from the scene of battle. Aware now of the 
delusion practiced, Turnus raved, and accused the gods, and 
then eagerly watched for an opportunity to land, and make his 
way, alone and on foot, back to the scene of conflict. 



376 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

During Turnus' involuntary absence, ^Eneas had ranged all over 
the battlefield in search of him, and had encountered and slain 
^Eneas' many warriors, among others Lausus and his aged 
prowess. father Mezentius, two allies of Latinus, who had 
specially distinguished themselves by their great valor. The 
dead and dying covered the field, when Latinus, weary of blood- 
shed, summoned a council, and again vainly tried to make peace. 
But his efforts were of no avail. The war was renewed more 
fiercely than ever ; and in the next encounter, Camilla, the brave 
Volscian maiden, fell at last, breathing a fervent entreaty that 
Turnus should hasten to the succor of his despairing people if he 
would not see them all slain and the town in the hands of the 

Trojans. 

" 'Go: my last charge to Turnus tell, 
To haste with succor, and repel 
The Trojans from the town — farewell.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

Shortly after her death, in the very midst of the fray, ^Eneas 
suddenly felt himself wounded by an arrow sent by some mysteri- 
iEneas' ous hand. He hastened to seek the aid of the 
wound. leech lapis ; but, in spite of his ministrations, the 
barb could not be removed nor the wound dressed, until Venus 
brought a magic herb, which instantly healed the hero, and 
enabled him to return to the fight with unabated strength and 
energy. 

The tide was now decidedly turning in favor of the Trojans ; 
for Amata, the Latin queen, sorry for her ill-advised opposition 
to her daughter's marriage with yEneas, brought Lavinia home 
and hung herself in a fit of remorse. 

yEneas, appearing once more on the battlefield, finally en- 
countered the long-sought Turnus, who had made his way back, 

Death of an ^ was now driving about in his chariot, jealously 

Tumus. guarded by his sister Juturna, who, the better to 

watch over his safety, had taken the place of his chariot driver. 

The two heroes, having met, instantly closed in deadly fight; 



ADVENTURES OF MNEAS. 377 

but, in spite of Turnus' bravery, he was finally obliged to suc- 
cumb, and sank to the ground, frankly acknowledging himself 
beaten as he exhaled his last sigh. 

" ' Yours is the victory : Latian bands 
Have seen me stretch imploring hands: 
The bride Lavinia is your own : 
Thus far let foeman's hate be shown.' " 

Virgil (Conington's tr.). 

With the death of Turnus the war came to an end. A lasting 
peace was made with Latinus ; and the brave Trojan hero, whose 
woes were now over, was united in marriage with Eneas' 
Lavinia. In concert with Latinus, he ruled the progeny. 
Latins, and founded a city, which he called Lavinia in honor 
of his bride, and , which became for a time the capital of Latium. 

^Eneas, as the gods had predicted, became the father of a 
son named yEneas Silvia, who founded Alba Longa, where his 
descendants reigned for many a year, and where one of his race, 
the Vestal Virgin Ilia, after marrying Mars, gave birth to Remus 
and Romulus, the founders of Rome (p. 142). 



CHAPTER XXX. 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS 



"I shall indeed interpret all that I can, but I cannot interpret all that I 
should like. " — Grimm. 

In attempting an analysis of the foregoing myths, and an ex- 
planation of their origin, it is impossible, in a work of this kind, 
Early to do more than give a very superficial idea of 

theories. foe scientific theories of various eminent mythol- 
ogists, who, on this subject, like doctors, are sure to disagree. 

These myths, comprising " the entire intellectual stock of the 
age to which they belonged," existed as " floating talk among 
the people " long ere they passed into the literature of the nation ; 
and while to us mythology is merely " an affair of historical or 
antiquarian study, we must remember that the interpretation of 
myths was once a thing full of vital interest to men whose moral 
and religious beliefs were deeply concerned." Received at first 
with implicit faith, these myths became a stumbling block as 
civilization advanced. Cultured man recoiled from much of the 
grossness which had appeared quite natural to his ancestors in a 
savage state, and made an attempt to find out their primitive 
meaning, or an explanation which would satisfy his purer taste. 

With the latter object in view, the sages and writers of old in- 
terpreted all that seemed " silly and senseless " in mythology as 
physical allegories, — a system subsequently carried to extremes 
by many heathen philosophers in the vain hope of evading Chris- 
tian satire. 

Learned men have also explained these selfsame myths as 

378 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 379 

historical facts disguised as metaphors, or as moral allegories, 
which the choice of Hercules (p. 218) undoubtedly is. Eu- 
hemerus (316 B.C.) was the pioneer of the former theory, and 
Bacon an exponent of the latter. Euhemerus' method was exag- 
gerated by his disciples, who declared Zeus was merely a king of 
Crete ; his war with the giants, an attempt to repress a sedition ; 
Danae's shower of gold (p. 240), the money with which her guards 
were bribed ; Prometheus, a maker of clay images, " whence it 
was hyperbolically said he created man out of clay ; " and Atlas, 
an astronomer, who was therefore spoken of as supporting the 
weight of the heavens. This mode of interpretation was carried 
to such an extreme that it became ridiculous, and the inevitable 
reaction took place. In the course of time, however, the germ 
of truth it contained was again brought to light ; and very few 
persons now refuse to believe that some of the heroic myths have 
some slight historical basis, the " silly and senseless" element being 
classed as accretions similar to the fabulous tales attached to the 
indubitably historical name of Charlemagne. During the seven- 
teenth century, some philosophers, incited by " the resemblance 
between biblical narrative and ancient myths, came to the conclu- 
sion that the Bible contained a pure and the myths a distorted 
form of an original revelation." But within the past century new 
theories have gradually gained ground : for the philologists have 
attempted to prove that the myths arose from a " disease of 
language ; " while the anthropologists, basing their theory on 
comparative mythology, declare " it is man, it is human thought 
and human language combined, which naturally and necessarily 
produced the strange conglomerate of ancient fable." 

As these two last-named schools have either successfully con- 
futed or incorporated the theories of all their predecessors, a 
brief outline of their respective beliefs will not be Modem 
out of place. While philology compares only the theories. 
" myths of races which speak languages of the same family " (as 
will shortly be demonstrated), anthropology resorts to all folklore, 
and seeks for the origin of myths, not in language, which it con- 



3§o CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

siders only as a subordinate cause, but in the " condition of 
thought through which all races have passed." 

The anthropologists, or comparative mythologists, do not deny 
that during the moderate allowance of two hundred and fifty 
Anthropological thousand years, which they allot to the human race 
theory. on ear 't nj the myths may have spread from a single 
center, and either by migration, or by slave or wife stealing, or 
by other natural or accidental methods, may have " wandered 
all around the globe ;" but they principally base their arguments 
on the fact that just as flint arrowheads are found in all parts of 
the world, differing but slightly in form and manufacture, so the 
myths of all nations " resemble each other, because they were 
formed to meet the same needs, out of the same materials." 

They argue that this similarity exists, " not because the people 
came from the same stock " (which is the philologist's view), " but 
because they passed through the same savage intellectual condi- 
tion." By countless examples taken from the folklore of all 
parts of the earth, they prove that the savage considers himself 
akin to beasts (generally to the one whose image is used as a tribal 
or family badge or totem), and "regards even plants, inanimate 
objects, and the most abstract phenomena, as persons with human 
parts and passions." To the savage, " sun, moon, and stars are per- 
sons, but savage persons ;" and, as he believes " many of his own 
tribe fellows to have the power of assuming the form of animals," 
he concedes the same privilege and power to sun, moon, and stars, 
etc. This school further prove that all pre-Christian religions have 
idols representing beasts, that all mythologies represent the gods 
as fond of appearing in animal forms, and declare, that, although 
the Greeks were a thoroughly civilized people, w r e can still find 
in their mythology and religion " abundant survivals of savage 
manners and savage myths." They claim, that, during the myth- 
making age, the ancestors of the Greeks were about on an in- 
tellectual level with the present Australian Bushmen, and that 
"everything in civilized mythologies which we regard as irra- 
tional, seems only part of the accepted and rational order of things 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 381 

to the contemporary savages, and in the past seemed equally 
rational and natural to savages concerning whom we have histor- 
ical information." Of course it is difficult, not to say impossible, 
for civilized man to put himself in the savage's place, and regard 
things from his point of view. The nearest approach to primi- 
tive intelligence which comes under our immediate observation is 
the working of the minds of small children, who, before they can 
talk intelligibly, whip the table or chair against which they have 
bumped their heads, and later on delight in weaving the most ex- 
traordinary tales. A little four-year-old seized a book and began 
to " read a story ; " that is to say, to improvise a very improb- 
able and highly colored tale of a pony. Forced to pause from 
lack of breath, she resumed the thread of her narrative with the 
words, " Now, this dog ; " and, when it was suggested that the 
story was about a pony, she emphatically replied, "Well, this pony 
was a dog," and continued. Now, either because she perceived 
that the transformation had attracted attention, or to satisfy the 
childish inborn taste for the marvelous, in the course of the next 
few minutes the pony underwent as many transformations as 
Proteus, all of which apparently seemed perfectly natural to her. 
The anthropologists explain the tales of the various transforma- 
tions of Jupiter and his animal progeny "as in many cases sur- 
vivals of the totemistic belief in descent from beasts," while the 
mythologists explain them as " allegories of the fruitful union 
of heaven and earth, of rain and grain." The former school also 
declare that the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which has its parallel 
in stories found in all parts of the world, was invented to explain 
curious marriage customs (for in some countries it is unlawful for 
the husband to see his wife's face until after she has given birth to 
her first child, and in others a wife may not speak her husband's 
name) : the latter school interpret the same myth as a beautiful 
allegory of the soul and the union of faith and love. 

The philologists' interpretation of myths is not only the most 
accredited at the present time, but also the most poetical. We 
therefore give a brief synopsis of their theory, together with 



382 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

an analysis, from their point of view, of the principal myths told 
at length in the course of this work. According to this school, 
Philological " myths are the result of a disease of language, as 
theory. ^g p ear i j s t h e re sult of a disease of the oyster;" 
the key to all mythologies lies in language ; and the original names 
of the gods, " ascertained by comparative philology, will be found, 
as a rule, to denote elemental or physical phenomena," that is, 
phenomena of the sunshine, the clouds, rain, winds, fire, etc. 

To make their process of reasoning plain, it should be explained, 
that as French, Spanish, and Italian are derived from the Latin, 
even so Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit have a common source in a 
much older language ; that, even if Latin were entirely lost, the 
similarity of the word " bridge," for instance {port's in Latin), in 
French (pont), in Spanish {piiente), and in Italian (ponte), would 
justify the conclusion that these terms had their origin in a com- 
mon language, and that the people who spoke it were familiar 
with bridges, which they evidently called by some name phoneti- 
cally the same. 

Further to prove their position,, they demonstrate the similarity 
of the most common words in all the languages of the same 
family, showing (as is the case with the word " father " in the ac- 
companying table) that they undergo but few changes in sixteen 
different languages. 

Sanskrit, pitri. Latin, pater. 

Zend, paitar. Greek, pronounced patair. 

Persian, pader. Gothic, vatar. 

Erse, athair. German, vater. 

Italian, padre. Dutch, fader. 

Spanish, padre. Danish, fader. 

French, pere. Swedish, fader. 

Saxon, feeder. English, father. 

The most learned of all these philologists argues that during 
the first or Rhematic period, there existed a tribe in Central Asia 
which spoke a monosyllabic language, in which lay the germs of 
the Turanian, Aryan, and Semitic forms of speech. This Rhe- 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 383 

matic period was followed by the Nomadic or Agglutinative age, 
when, little by little, the languages " received once for all that 
peculiar impress of their formative system which we still find in 
all the dialects and national idioms comprised under the name of 
Aryan or Semitic ; " that is to say, in the Hindoo, Persian, Greek, 
Roman, Celt, Slav, and Teutonic languages, and in some three 
thousand kindred dialects. 

After the Agglutinative period, and previous to the National era 
and " the appearance of the first traces of literature," he places 
"a period represented everywhere by the same characteristic 
features, called the Mythological or Mythopceic age." 

It was during this period that the main part of the vast fund 
of mythic lore is supposed to have crystallized ; for primitive man, 
knowing nothing whatever of physical laws, cause and effect, 
and the " necessary regularity of things," yet seeking an expla- 
nation of the natural phenomena, described them in the only way 
possible to him, and attributed to all inanimate objects his own 
sentiments and passions, fancying them influenced by the same 
things, in the same way. This tendency to personify or animate 
everything is universal among savages, who are nothing but men 
in the primitive state ; and " in early philosophy throughout the 
world, the sun, moon, and stars are alive, and, as it were, human 
in their nature." " Poetry has so far kept alive in our minds the 
old animative theory of nature, that it is no great effort in us to 
fancy the waterspout a huge giant or a sea monster, and to de- 
pict, in what we call appropriate metaphor, its march across the 
field of ocean." 

As the names of the Greek gods and heroes have in a great 
measure been found to correspond with the Sanskrit names of 
physical things, we have been able to read some of the first 
thoughts of primitive man ; and " the obvious meaning" of many 
words " did much to preserve vestiges of plain sense in classic 
legend, in spite of all the efforts of the commentators." 

According to the philologists, therefore, these thoughts had 
already assumed a definite form in the remote epoch when many 



384 CLASSICAL MYTHS.' 

nations, now scattered over the face of the earth, occupied the 
same country, spoke the same language, and formed but one 
people. Of course, " as long as such beings as Heaven or Sun 
are consciously talked of in mythic language, the meaning of their 
legends is open to no question, and the action ascribed to them 
will as a rule be natural and appropriate ; " but with the gradual dif- 
fusion of this one people to various parts of the earth, the original 
meaning of these words was entirely lost, and they came to be 
looked upon eventually simply as the names of deities or heroes — 
very much in the way that the word " good-by " has long survived 
its original form as a conscious prayer, " God be with you! " and 
the word " ostracism " has lost all connection with an oyster shell. 

The primitive meaning of a myth died away with the original 
meaning of a word ; and it is because " the Greek had forgotten 
that Zeus (Jupiter) meant ' the bright sky,' that he could make 
him king " over a company of manlike deities on Olympus. 

We can best explain how the many anomalies occur, and how 
the myths got so tangled up together that now it is almost 
impossible to disentangle them and trace them back to their 
original meanings, by comparing their descent through the ages 
to the course of*a snowball, which, rolling down a mountain side, 
gathers to itself snow, earth, rocks, etc., until, in the vast ag- 
glomeration of kindred and foreign substances, the original nucleus 
is entirely lost to sight. 

The fact that there are many different myths to explain the 
same phenomenon can readily be accounted for by the old say- 
ing, "circumstances alter cases." Thus the heat of the sun, for 
example, so beneficial at certain times, may prove baleful and 
injurious at others. 

The philologists, who believe that all myths (except the imi- 
tative myths, of which the tale of Berenice is a fair example) 
were originally nature myths, have divided them into a few large 
classes, which include the myths of the sky, the sun, dawn, day- 
light, night, moon, earth, sea, clouds, fire, wind,, and finally those 
of the underworld and of the demons of drought and darkness. 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 3 8 5 

SKY MYTHS. 

Taking them in the order in which they are presented in this 
work, we find among the myths of the sky, Uranus, whose name, 
like that of the old Hindoo god Varuna, is de- 

Uranus. 

rived from the Sanskrit root var (' to veil, conceal, 
or cover "). This god was therefore a personification of the heav- 
ens, which are spread out like a veil, and cover all the earth ; and 
we are further told that he hurled the thunder and lightning, his Cy- 
clop children, down from his abode into the abyss called Tartarus. 
Zeus (or Jupiter), whose name is the same as the Hindoo 
Dyaus Pitar, the god and personification of the bright sky or the 
heavens, has likewise been traced to the Sanskrit 

• • Jupiter. 

root div or dytt, meaning " to shine;" and there is 
also a noun dyu in that language which means either " sky " or 
" day." In early times the name was applied to the one God, 
and ,was therefore "retained by the Greeks and all other kin- 
dred people to express all they felt toward God;" but as the 
word also meant jthe visible sky, with its ever-changing aspect, 
some of the phrases used to describe it came, in the course of 
time, to denote vile and fickle actions, and apparently inconsis- 
tent behavior. 

The name of Hera (or Juno), the heavenly light, and therefore 
the complement and consort of the sky, is supposed to be derived 
from the Sanskrit soar ("the bright sky ") and surya 
(" the sun ") ; and all the manifold changes which 
at first merely denoted the varying atmosphere, by being personi- 
fied, gradually gave the impression of the jealous, capricious, 
vengeful person whom poets and writers have taken pleasure in 
depicting ever since. 

Another personification of the sky, this time under the noctur- 
nal and starry aspect, is Argus, whose many bright eyes never 
closed all at once, but kept constant watch over 
the moon (Io) — confided to his care by the heav- 
enly light (Juno) — until at last their beams were quenched by 
the wind and rain (Mercury). 



386 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

SUN AND DAWN MYTHS. 

The myths of the sun, from which it is almost impossible to 

separate those of the dawn, are probably more numerous than 

any others, and have some main features of re- 

Europa. 

semblance in all cases. The first sun myth men- 
tioned in the course of this work is the story of Europa, in which 
Europa is "the broad spreading light," born in Phoenicia (the' 
"purple land of morn"), the child of Telephassa ("she who 
shines from afar "), carried away from her eastern birthplace by 
the sky (Jupiter), closely pursued by the sun ( her brother Cad- 
mus), who, after passing through many lands, slays a dragon (the 
usual demon of drought or darkness), and sets (dies) at last with- 
out having ever overtaken the light of dawn (Europa). 

Apollo, whose name of Helios is pure Greek for " the sun," 
had therefore not lost all physical significance for the Hellenic 

race, who worshiped in him the radiant personi- 

Apollo. 

fication of the orb of day. Another of his ap- 
pellations, Phcebus ("the lord of life and light"), still further 
emphasizes his character ; and we are informed that he was 
born of the sky (Jupiter) and of the dark night (Leto), in the 
"bright land" (Delos), whence he daily starts on his westward 
journey. 

Like all other solar heroes, Apollo is beautiful and golden- 
haired, radiant and genial, armed with unerring weapons, which 
he wields for good or evil, as the mood sways him. He is forced 
to labor, against his will at times, for the benefit of man, as, for 
instance, when he serves Admetus and Laomedon ; and the 
cattle, by which he evidently sets such store, are the fleecy 
clouds, pasturing "in the infinite meadows of heaven," whose full 
udders drop down rain and fatness upon the land, which are 
stolen away either by the wind (Mercury), or the storm demon 
(Cacus), or the impious companions of Ulysses, who pay for 
their sacrilegious temerity with their lives. 

The sun's affinity for the dawn is depicted by his love for 
Coronis, who, however beloved, falls beneath his bright darts ; 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 387 

and, as "the sun was regarded naturally as the restorer of life" 
after the blighting influence of winter and disease, so their off- 
spring (^Esculapius) was naturally supposed to have 
been endowed with marvelous curative powers. 

The sun, for the same reason, was supposed to wage continual 
warfare against cold, sickness, and disease, and to use his bright 
beams or arrows against the demon of drought, darkness, or ill- 
ness (Python), which in some form or other inevitably appears in 
every solar myth. 

In the story of Daphne, a name derived from Dahana, the 
Sanskrit dawn, we find another version of the same story, where 
the sun, although enamored with the dawn, causes 
her death. As some mythologists have interpreted 
it, Daphne is a personification of the morning dew, which van- 
ishes beneath the sun's hot breath, and leaves no trace of its 
passage except in the luxuriant verdure. 

In Cephalus and Procris the sun again appears, and his unerr- 
ing spear unwittingly causes the death of his beloved Procris 
" while she lingers in a thicket (a place where the cephalus and 
dew lingers longest)." This interpretation has been Procris. 
further confirmed by philological researches, which prove that 
the name " Procris " originated from a Sanskrit word meaning 
"to sprinkle;" and the stories evidently arose from three simple 
phrases, — "'the sun loves the dew,' 'the morning loves the 
sun,' and 'the sun kills the dew.' " 

In the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, while some mythologists 
see in him a personification of the winds, which " tear up trees 
as they course along, chanting their wild music," Orpheus and 
others see an emblem of "the morning, with its Eurydice. 
short-lived beauty." Eurydice, whose name, like that of Europa, 
comes from a Sanskrit word denoting " the broad spreading flush 
of the dawn across the sky," is, of course, a personification of that 
light, slain by " the serpent of darkness at twilight." 

Orpheus is also sometimes considered as the sun, plunging into 
an abyss of darkness, in hopes of overtaking the vanishing dawn, 



388 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

Eurydice; and as the light (Eurydice) reappears opposite the 
place where he disappeared, but is no more seen after the sun 
himself has fairly risen, " they say that Orpheus has turned around 
too soon to look at her, and so was parted from the wife he loved 
so dearly." 

His death in the forest, when his strength had all forsaken 
him, and his severed head floated down the stream murmuring 
" Eurydice," may also, perchance, have been intended to repre- 
sent either the last faint breath of the expiring wind, or the set- 
ting of the sun in blood-tinged clouds. 

In the story of Phaeton, whose name means " the bright and 
shining one," a description of the golden palace and car of the 
sun is given us. We are told that the venturesome 
young charioteer, by usurping his father's place, 
causes incalculable mischief, and, in punishment for his misman- 
agement of the solar steeds (the fleecy white clouds), is hurled 
from his exalted seat by a thunderbolt launched by the hand of 
Jupiter. 

" This story arose from phrases which spoke of drought as 
caused by the chariot of Helios, when driven by some one who 
knew not how to guide his horses ; and the smiting of Phaeton 
by the bolt of Zeus is the ending of the time of drought by a 
sudden storm of thunder." 

The story of Diana and Endymion has also been interpreted 
as a sun myth, in which the name " Endymion " refers specially 
to the dying or setting sun, who sinks to rest on 
Mount Latmus ("the land of forgetfulness," de- 
rived from the same root as " Leto "). Miiller, the great authority 
in philology, tells us, that, in the ancient poetical and proverbial 
language of Elis, people said, " Selene loves and watches Endym- 
ion," instead of saying, "It is getting late;" "Selene embraces 
Endymion," instead of, "The sun is setting and the moon is 
rising;" "Selene kisses Endymion into sleep," instead of, "It is 
night." 

These expressions remained long after their real meaning had 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 389 

ceased to be understood ; and, as the human mind is generally as 
anxious for a reason as ready to invent one, a story arose without 
any conscious effort, that Endymion must have been a young lad 
loved by a young maiden, Selene. 

In the story of Adonis some mythologists find another sun 
myth, in which Adonis, the short-lived sun, is slain 

Adonis. 

by the boar, the demon of darkness, and passion- 
ately mourned by the dawn or twilight (Venus), who utterly re- 
fuses to exist without him. 

In the story of Tantalus (the sun), who in time of drought 
offers to Jupiter the flesh of his own offspring, Pelops (the with- 
ered fruits), and in punishment for his impiety 

j 1 j • f Tantalus. 

is doomed to hunger and torturing thirst, we have 
again merely a story founded upon an expression used in time 
of drought, when the sun's heat, becoming too intense, burns up 
the fruit his fostering rays had produced, and men exclaimed, 
" Tantalus is slaying and roasting his own child ! " 

In the same way the stone which Sisyphus painfully forced up 
a steep ascent, only to see it go rolling down and plunge into 
a 'dark abyss enveloped in a great cloud of dust, 
has been interpreted to represent the sun, which 
is no " sooner pushed up to the zenith, than it rolls down to the 
horizon." 

The name of Ixion has been identified with the Sanskrit word 
Akshanah, denoting one who is bound to a wheel, and has been 
proved akin " to the Greek axon, the Latin axis, 
and the English axle." This whirling wheel of 
fire is the bright orb of day, to which he was bound by order of 
Jupiter (the sky) because he dared insult Juno (the queen of the 
blue air) ; while Dia, his wife, is the dawn, the counterpart of 
Europa, Coronis, Daphne, Procris, Eurydice, and Venus, in the 
foregoing illustrations. 

One of the greatest of all the solar heroes is doubtless the 
demigod Hercules, born at Argos (a word signifying "bright- 
ness") from the sky (Jupiter) and the dawn (Alcmene), who, in 
25 



39° CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

early infancy, throttles the serpents of darkness, and who, with 

untiring strength and patience, plods through life, never resting, 
and always on his journey performing twelve great 
tasks, interpreted to represent either the twelve 

signs of the Zodiac, or the twelve months of the solar year, or 

the twelve hours of daylight. 

Like Apollo and Cadmus, Hercules is forced to labor for 

mankind against his will. We see him early in life united to 
Megara, and, like Tantalus, slaying his own off- 

Iole. . . 

spring in a sudden fit of madness. He loves and 
is soon forced to leave Iole, the violet-colored clouds. He per- 
forms great deeds, slays innumerable demons of drought and 
darkness on his way, and visits the enchanted land of the Hes- 
perides, — a symbol of the western sky and clouds at sunset. 

The main part of his life is spent with Deianeira (" the destroy- 
ing spouse "), a personification of the daylight ; but toward the 

end of his career he again encounters Iole, now 

Deianeira. . , 

the beautiful twilight. It is then that Deianeira 
(the daylight), jealous of her rival's charms, sends him the bloody 
Nessus robe, which he has no sooner donned, than he tears it 
from his bleeding limbs, ascends the burning pile, and ends his 
career in one grand blaze, — the emblem of the sun setting in a 
framework of flaming crimson clouds. 

Like all solar heroes, he too has unerring poisoned weapons 
("the word ios, 'a, spear,' is the same in sound as the word ios, 
' poison ' "), of which he is shorn only at death. 

Perseus also belongs to this category of myths. Danae, his 
mother, either the earth {dano means " burnt earth ") or the dawn, 
a daughter of Acrisius (darkness), is born in Argos 
(brightness). Loved by Jupiter, the all-embracing 
sky, she gives birth to the golden-haired Perseus, a personifica- 
tion of • the radiant orb of day; and he, like many another 
solar hero, is cast adrift immediately after his birth, owing to an 
ominous prophecy that he will slay the darkness from which he 
originally sprang. 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 391 

As soon as Perseus attains manhood, he is forced to journey 
against his will into the distant land of the mists (the Graeae), and 
conquer the terrible Medusa, " the starlit night, solemn in its 
beauty, but doomed to die when the sun rises." He accomplishes 
this by means of his irresistible sword, the piercing rays of the 
sun, and then passes on to encounter the monster of drought, 
and to marry Andromeda, another personification of the dawn, 
the offspring of Celeus and Cassiopeia, who also represent night 
and darkness. 

In company with Andromeda, Perseus, whose name also sig- 
nifies " the destroyer," revisits his native land, and fulfills the 
prophecy by slaying Acrisius (the darkness), whence he origi- 
nally sprang. * 

In the Athenian solar myth, Theseus is the sun, born of ^Egeus 

(the sea, derived from aisso, "to move quickly like the waves") 

and y£thra (the pure air). He lingers in his birth- 
no ., , , . , , Theseus 

place, Trcezene, until he has acquired strength 
enough to wield his invincible sword, then journeys onward in 
search of his father, performing countless great deeds for the ben- 
efit of mankind. He slays the Minotaur, the terrible monster of 
darkness, and carries off the dawn (Ariadne) ; whom he is, how- 
ever, forced to abandon shortly after on the Island of Naxos. 

In his subsequent career we find him the involuntary cause of 
his father's death, then warring against the Centaurs (personifica- 
tions of the clouds, through which the victorious sun is some- 
times forced to fight his way), then again plunging for a short 
space of time into the depths of Tartarus, whence he emerges 
once more ; and finally we see him uniting his fate to Phaedra 
(the twilight), a sister of the beautiful dawn he loved in his youth. 
He ends his eventful career by being hurled headlong from a 
cliff into the sea, — an emblem of the sun, which often seems to 
plunge into the waves at eventide. 

In the story of the Argonautic expedition we have Athamas, 
who marries Nephele (the mist). Their children are Phryxus 
and Helle (the cold and warm air, or personifications of the 



39 2 CLASSICAL MYTHS. < 

clouds), carried off to the far east by the ram — whose golden 

fleece was but an emblem of the rays of the sun — to enable 

them to escape from the baleful influence of their 

Argonauts. 

stepmother Ino (the broad daylight), who would 

fain encompass their destruction. 

Helle, an emblem of the condensation of vapor, falls from 

her exalted seat into the sea, where she is lost. The ship Argo 

"is a symbol of the earth as a parent, which con- 
Medea. ... ... 

tains in itself the germs of all living things." Its 

crew is composed mainly of solar heroes, all in quest of the 
golden fleece (the rays of the sun), which Jason recovers by the 
aid of Medea (the dawn), after slaying the dragon (the demon of 
drought). ^Eetes, Medea's father, is a personification of the 
darkness, which vainly attempts to recover his children, the 
dawn and light (?), after they have been borne away by the all- 
conquering sun. 

Glauce (the broad daylight) next charms Jason ; and the 

poisoned robe which causes her death is woven by Medea, now 

the evening twilight, who mounts her dragon car 

Glauce. 

and flies to the far east, forsaking her husband (the 
sun) in his old age, when he is about to sink into the sleep of 
death. 

Meleager is also a solar hero. After joining the Argonautic 
expedition, and wandering far and wide, he returns home, slays 

the boar (or drought fiend), loves, but parts from, 

Meleager. 

Atalanta (the dawn maiden), and is finally slain 
by his own mother, who casts into the flames the brand upon 
which his existence depends. 

In the Theban solar myth, Laius (derived from the same root 
as " Leto " and " Latmus ") is the emblem of darkness, who, after 
marrying Jocasta (like Iole, a personification of 
the violet-tinted clouds of dawn), becomes the 
father of (Edipus, doomed by fate to be the murderer of his father. 
Early in life (Edipus is exposed on the barren hillside to perish, 
— an emblem of the horizontal rays of the rising sun, which 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 393 

seem to lie for a while upon the mountain slopes, ere they rise 
to begin their journey. 

He too, like Cadmus, Apollo, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, 
and Jason, is forced to wander far from home, and, after a pro- 
longed journey, encounters and slays Laius (the darkness), 
from whom he derived his existence, and kills the dread monster 
of drought, the Sphinx, whose very name means " one who binds 
fast," — a creature who had imprisoned the rain in the clouds, 
and thus caused great distress. 

Urged on by unrelenting fate, he marries his own mother, 
Jocasta, now the violet-tinted twilight, and ends his life amid 
lightning flashes and rolls of thunder, after being accompanied to 
the end of his course by Antigone (" the pale light which springs 
up opposite the sun at his setting "). This story — which at first 
was merely intended to signify that the sun (CEdipus) must slay 
the darkness (Laius) and linger for a while beside the violet-col- 
ored clouds (Jocasta) — having lost its physical meaning, the 
Thebans added the tragic sequel, for it seemed but poetic justice 
that the author of such crimes should receive signal punishment. 

As the Eumenides, or Erinnyes, were at first merely the search- 
ing light of day, from which nothing can be hidden, they came 
gradually to be considered the detectives and 

- . , . . . . Eumenides. 

avengers of crime, and were therefore said to take 

possession of a criminal at the end of his course, and hurry him 

down into darkness to inflict horrible torments upon him. 

In the story of Bellerophon, although the name originally 
came from Bellero (some " power of darkness, drought, winter, 
or moral evil ") and from phon or phonies (a word 
derived from the Sanskrit han-id, "the killer"), 
the Greeks, having forgotten the signification of the first part of 
the word, declared this hero was the murderer of Bellero, his 
brother, for which involuntary crime he was driven from home, 
and forced to wander about in search of shelter. 

We find this hero, although enticed by Anteia (the dawn), 
virtuously hastening away, then sent against his will to fight 



394 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

the Chimsera (the monster of drought), whom he overcomes, 
thanks to his weapon and to Pegasus (the clouds), born from 
the mist of the sea, beneath whose hoofs fresh fountains were 
wont to spring. 

Bellerophon, after many journeys, is finally united to Philonoe, 
a personification of the twilight, and ends his career by being 
hurled from the zenith into utter darkness by one of Jupiter's 
deadly thunderbolts. 

" The fall of Bellerophon is the rapid descent of the sun 
toward evening, and the Alein plain is that broad expanse of 
somber light through which the sun sometimes seems to travel 
sullenly and alone to his setting." 

In the story of the Trojan war there are several sun myths ; 

for Paris, Menelaus, Agamemnon, and Achilles have equal 

claims to be considered personifications of the sun. 

Trojan war. 

They love CEnone, Helen, Clytaemnestra, Briseis, 
various impersonations of the dawn, and forsake, or are forsaken 
by, their ladyloves, whom they meet again at the end of their 
career : for Paris sees CEnone, and expires with her on the burn- 
ing pile ; Menelaus recovers Helen, with whom he vanishes in 
the far west ; Agamemnon rejoins Clytaemnestra, and dies by her 
hand in a bloody bath ; while Achilles, after a period of sullen 
gloom, meets with an untimely death shortly after recovering the 
beautiful Briseis. 

Like Perseus and CEdipus, Paris is exposed in early infancy, 
and lives to fulfill his destiny, and cause, though indirectly, the 
death of his parents. 

In this myth, Helen (the beautiful dawn or twilight), whose 
name corresponds phonetically with the Sanskrit Sarama, born of 
the sky (Jupiter) and of the night (Leda, derived from the same 
root as "Leto," " Latmus," and "Laius "), is carried away by Paris, 
whom some mythologists identify with the Hindoo Panis (or 
" night demons ") instead of the sun. In this character he entices 
away the fickle twilight (Helen) during her husband's temporary 
absence, and bears her off to the far east, where, after struggling 



• ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 395 

for a while to retain possession of her and her treasures, he is 
finally forced to relinquish her, and she returns to her husband 
and her allegiance. 

The siege of Troy has thus been interpreted to signify "a 
repetition of the daily siege of the east by the solar powers, that 
every evening are robbed of their brightest treasures in the west." 

Achilles, like several of his brother heroes, " fights in no 
quarrel of his own ; his wrath is the sun hiding his face behind 
the clouds ; the Myrmidons are his attendant beams, who no 
longer appear when the sun is hidden ; Patroclus is the feeble 
reflection of the sun's splendor, and stands to him in precisely 
the same relation as Phaeton to Helios," and, like him, meets 
with an early death. 

In the story of "Ulysses we find a reproduction of the story of 
Hercules and Perseus: for Ulysses, early in life, after wedding 
Penelope, is forced to leave her to fight for an- 

• - . . Ulysses. 

other ; and on his return, although longing to re- 
join his morning bride, he cannot turn aside from the course 
marked out for him. He is detained by Circe (the moon), 
who weaves airy tissues, and by Calypso (the nymph of dark- 
ness) ; but neither can keep him forever, and he returns home 
enveloped in an impenetrable disguise, after having visited the 
Phaeacian land (the land of clouds or mists). It is only after 
he has slain the suitors of Penelope (the weaver of bright even- 
ing clouds) that he casts aside his beggar's garb to linger for a 
short time beside her ere he vanishes in the west. 

The greater part of the dawn myths have been explained 
simultaneously with the sun myths, with which they are inex- 
tricably interwoven. One personification of the 
dawn, however, stands apart. It is Minerva, whose 
Greek name, Athene, is derived, like Daphne, from the Sanskrit 
Dahana, or aha?ia (meaning "the light of daybreak"), and we 
are thus enabled to understand why the Greeks described her as 
sprung from the forehead of Zeus (the heavens). She gradually 
became the impersonation of the illuminating and knowledge- 



39 6 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

giving light of the sky ; for in Sanskrit the same w ord also means 
" to wake " and " to know," while the Latins connected her name 
of Minerva with mens, the same as the Greek menos and the 
English mind. 

MOON MYTHS. 

In the moon myths the most important personification is first 
Diana, the horned huntress, " for to the ancients the moon was 
Diana, io, and not a lifeless ball of stones and clods." Diana, 
Circe. ijk e Apollo, her twin brother, was also a child of 

the sky (Jupiter) and of night (Latona), and, like him, was born 
in the "bright land" (Delos). She also possessed bright and un- 
erring arrows, and in the course of her nightly journey she looked 
lovingly down upon the sleeping face of the setting sun (En- 
dymion). 

Io and Circe, already mentioned, are also personifications of 
the moon, and Io's wanderings represent its journeys across 
the sky. 

EARTH MYTHS. 

In the earth myths, beside those already mentioned in con- 

Gaea and nection with the sun myths, we have Gsea and 
Rhea. Rhea, the mothers and consorts of the Sky and of 

Time, who swallows his own children, " the Days, as they come 
each in order." 

We have also Ceres or Demeter, " the mother of all things," 
and more particularly of " the maiden " Cora (or Proserpina), 

Ceres and whose loss she grievously mourned ; for she had 
Proserpina. been carried away by Pluto to the underworld, 
whence she could only emerge at the command of Jupiter. 
During the time of Ceres' mourning, the earth remained barren, 
and it seemed as though all mortal things must die. But when 
Proserpina (the spring or vegetation) returned from her sojourn 
under the ground, people said " that the daughter of the earth 
was returning in all her beauty ; and when summer faded into 
winter, they said that the beautiful child had been stolen away 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 397 

from her mother by dark beings, who kept her imprisoned be- 
neath the earth." The sorrow of Ceres was therefore merely a 
poetical way of expressing " the gloom which falls on the earth 
during the cheerless months of winter." 

Danae, as a personification of the earth, was quickened by the 
golden shower, the light of the morning, which streamed in upon 
the darkness of the night. Semele has also been Danae and 
interpreted as the earth, the chosen bride of the Semele. 
sky, who brings forth her offspring in the midst of the thunder 
and lightning of a summer storm. 

SEA MYTHS. 

The myths of the sea comprise, of course, Oceanus and Nep- 
tune (the earth-shaker), whose name is connected with such words 
as " potent " and " despot," and whose " green oceanus and 
hair circles all the earth." We are further informed Neptune, 
that he loves the earth (Ceres), whom he embraces, and that he 
marries the graceful undulating Amphitrite, whose gliding charms 
appeal to him. Neptune's palace is beneath the deep waters 
near Greece, and he is said to ride about his realm in a swift 
chariot drawn by golden or white maned steeds. 

Nereus, another personification of the sea, whose name is de- 
rived from nao (" to flow "), is quite inseparable from his native 
element, even in the Greeks' conception of him, 

Nereus. 

as are also the Tritons, Oceanides, Nereides, and 
the alluring Sirens ; who, however, have also been viewed as per- 
sonifications of the winds. 

CLOUD MYTHS. 

The cloud myths, to which frequent allusion has already been 
made, comprise not only the cattle of the sun, the Centaurs, 
Nephele, Phryxus, Helle, and Pegasus, but as, " in 

• • • a i i i • ,r i , Charon. 

primitive Aryan lore, the sky itself was a blue 

sea, and the clouds were ships sailing over it," so Charon's boat 

was supposed to be one of these vessels, and the gilded shallop 



39 8 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

in which the sun daily made his pilgrimage back to the far east, 
another. 

As the ancient Aryan had the same word to denote cloud and 

mountain ("for the piles of vapor on the horizon were so like 

Alpine ranges "), the cloud and mountain myths 

Niobe. 

are often the same. In the story of Niobe we 
have one of the cloud myths. According to some mythologists, 
Niobe herself is a personification of the clouds. Her many chil- 
dren, the mists, are fully as beautiful as Apollo and Diana, by 
whose bright darts they are ruthlessly slain. Niobe grieves so 
sorely at their untimely death, that she dissolves in a rain of tears, 
which turns into hard ice on the mountain summit. Accord- 
ing to other authorities, she was a personification of winter, and 
her tears represented the thaw occasioned by the sunbeams 
(Apollo's arrows). 

FIRE MYTHS. 

The fire myths also form quite a large class, and comprise the 

Cyclopes (the thunder and lightning), children of Heaven and 

Earth, whose single blazing eye has been consid- 

Cyclopes. 

ered an emblem of the sun. They forge the ter- 
rible thunderbolts, the weapons of the sky (Jupiter), by means 
of which he is enabled to triumph over all his enemies, and rule 
supreme. 

The Titans are emblems of the subterranean fires and the vol- 
canic forces of nature, which, hidden deep underground, occa- 
sionally emerge, heave up great masses of rock, 

Titans. . 

and hurl them about with an accompaniment 01 
deafening roars, while their ponderous tread causes the very 
earth beneath them to tremble. 

In this group we also find Prometheus, whose name has been 
traced to the Sanskrit pramantha (or " fire drill "). Learned men 

have therefore proved that the "beneficent Titan, 

Prometheus. . 

who stole fire from heaven and bestowed it upon 
mankind as the richest of boons," was originally nothing but 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. 399 

the lightning ('" the celestial drill which churns fire out of the 
clouds ") ; but the Greeks had so entirely forgotten this etymo- 
logical meaning, that they interpreted his name as the "fore- 
thinker," and considered him endowed with extraordinary pro- 
phetic powers. 

Vulcan (or Hephaestus), strictly "the brightness of the flame," 
another fire hero, is represented as very puny at birth, because the 
flame comes from a tiny soark. His name is de- 

Vulcan. 

rived from the Hindoo agni, whence come the 
Latin ignis and the English verb to ignite. Vulcan dwells by 
preference in the heart of volcanoes, where the intense heat 
keeps the metals in fusion, and so malleable that he can mold 
them at will ; and, as " the association of the heavenly fire with 
the life-giving forces of nature is very common," the Hindoo 
Agni was considered the patron of marriage as well as of fire ; 
and the Greeks, to carry out this idea, united their fire god, 
Hephaestus, to the goddess of marriage, Aphrodite. 

The Greek Hestia (or Latin Vesta) was also a personification 
of fire ; and, her name having retained its primitive meaning to 
a great extent, " she continued to the end, as she 
had been from the beginning, the household altar, 
the sanctuary of peace and equity, and the source of all hap- 
piness and wealth." Her office was not limited merely to the 
hearths of households and cities, for it was supposed "that in 
the center of the earth there was a hearth which answered to the 
hearth placed in the center of the universe." 

WIND MYTHS. 

In the myths of the wind, Mercury (or Hermes) was one of 
the principal personifications. According to the ancients, he was 
born of the sky (Jupiter) and the plains (Maia), 

j r c 1 » 1 Mercury. 

and alter a very few hours existence assumed gi- 
gantic proportions, stole away the cattle of the sun (the clouds), 
and, after fanning up a great fire in which he consumed some of 
the herd, glided back into his cradle at dawn. With a low, 



400 CLASSICAL MYTHS. 

mocking chuckle at the recollection of the pranks he had played, 
he sank finally into rest. His name, derived from the Sanskrit 
Sarameias, means " the breeze of a summer morning ; " and it is 
in his capacity of god of the wind that he is supposed to waft 
away the souls of the dead ; for " the ancients held that in the 
wind were the souls of the dead." Mercury is the "lying, trick- 
some wind god who invented music," for his music is but " the 
melody of the winds, which can awaken feelings of joy and sor- 
row, of regret and yearning, of fear and hope, of vehement glad- 
ness and utter despair." 

Another personification of the wind was Mars (or Ares), born 

of the sky (Jupiter) and of the heavenly light (Juno) in the bleak 

land of Thrace, rejoicing in din and in the noise of 

Mars. 

warfare. His nature is further revealed by his in- 
constancy and capriciousness ; and whenever he is overcome, 
he is noted for his great roar. His name comes from the same 
root as Maruts, the Indian god, and means the " grinder " or 
"crusher." It was first applied "to the storms which throw 
heaven and earth into confusion, and hence the idea of Ares is 
confined to mere disorder and tumult." 

Otus and Ephialtes, the gigantic sons of Neptune, were also 
at first merely personifications of the wind and hurricanes. The 

Otus and name of the latter indicates " one who leaps." 

Ephialtes. Although very short-lived, these giants were sup- 
posed to increase rapidly in size, and assume colossal proportions, 
which inspired the hearts of men and gods with terror, until they 
saw them finally slain by the unfailing arrows of the sun. 

Pan, ^Eolus, his numerous progeny, and the Harpies, were also 
Pan, ^Eoius, and wind divinities who never entirely lost their origi- 
the Harpies. na j character with the Greeks, and were there- 
fore worshiped merely as personifications of the elements. 

UNDERWORLD MYTHS. 

The myths of drought, darkness, and of the underworld have 
sufficiently been dwelt upon as personified by Python, the Hydra, 



ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. \o\ 

Geryones, the Gorgons, Grsese, Minotaur, Sphinx, Chimaera, etc. ; 
but their main personifications were Cerberus (the grim three- 
headed guardian of the nether world) and Pluto (or Cerberus 
Aides), whose name means " the wealth-giver," or and pluto - 
" the unseen," who greedily drew all things down into his realm, 
never to relinquish his grasp upon them. 

Such is the physical explanation of the various poetical myths 
which form the staple of classic literature, and which have been a 
fount of inspiration for poets and artists of all ages. 



Note. — Double vertical lines indicate 
that several generations intervene. 



GENEALOC 

Chaos- Aj 
Erebus- 

Hemera-^ 



Gcea 

Uran 



OceanvLS-Thetis Ccsus-Pha?6e Iapetus- Hyperion- Crius Themis- Ilia Cronns-Rhea Mnemosy?ie 



Clymene 
Mars Latona-Jupiter 

I" ' 



Gcea 



Jupiter 



Dz'a-lxion Coronis-ApoWo-Diana 
^Esculapius 



I I 

Machaon Hygeia 



Centaurs Pirithous-Hippodamia 



A urora-JEoius Parcce Horce 



t, I „ . , . I fCorus 
Boreas- Onthyia | | Eurus 
Notus 



Aquilo 



Zephyrus-T^ra: 

I i i i 

Zetus Calais Cleopatra Chione 



Jupiter 



Clio Calli 

Hymen Orpht 
Eury 



Vesta Juno-Jupiter 



Menetius Atlas Hesperus Epimetheus-/ > «?zfl 7 <?m Prometheus 
Hesperides /yrr,&«:-Deucalion 

Hellen 



^Eolus Dorus Xuthus 



Maxs-Ven?ts V t 
Cacus 



Anteros Cupid-Psyche Ha? 



Salmoneus 



Sisyphus 



[on Achaeus 



Sol 



7^r<2-Neptune Glaucus 



Ino- 



Pasipha Circe ./Eetes iEson Pelias Neleus Bellerophon- 
I Philonoe 

Absyrtus Medea-Jv&oxi Nestor 



C Athamas- 5 | Aristaeus 
n Nephele 



Actaeon 



Phryxus Helle Palasmon Lean 
Ete< 



Achelous- Alpheus- Peneus- Inachus Proteus Doris- Metis- Clymene- ALthra- Cat \ 
Calliope Arethusa Gcea Nereus Jupiter Iapetus Atlas Ul 

Sirens Daphne Io Minerva 



I 1 

Pleiades Maiiiyt 

zfihztrile-N eptune Dione-J upiter Arethusa Galatea-Acis Peleus- Thetis Clymene-ApoMo Me" y-i 



Triton Venus 

Jupiter-^4 nlz'ope-L,ycus-Dirce Tantalus 

Zethu: 



Achilles 



Amphion-A^b^ 
Jupiter-.trafe-Tyndareus 



Pelops 
Atreus 



l I 

Heliades Phaeton 

Priam-ita 



Helen Castor Pollux Clytczmnestra-Agamemnon Meneiaus-Hele'n 

| i | Hermione-Pyrrhus 

Iphigenia E lectra-P ylades Orestes 



402 



Hector-yl ndromac'b Pan 



KKAL TABLE. 



I -r Charon Eris Somnus Mors 
Morpheus 



Pontus 
Phorcys 



i i i 1 

Bellona Stheno Euryale Medusa-Neptune 



Pegasus Polyphemus 



|i rontes Steropes Arges Briareus Cottus Gyes Typhosus Enceladus Antaeus Harpies Tityus Nereus 



Hydra Cerberus Chimaera 



Nemean Lion Sphinx 



Thalia Euterpe Urania Melpomene Terpsichore Polyhymnia Erato 



:une- A mphitrite Or,?.y-Jupiter Pluto-Proserpina J U p[ ter -7o 
Triton Proserpina Epaphus 



1-Medusa Bebe-Kercules Neptune -Libya 



[aphetes Cercyon Agenor-Telephassa Belus 



a-Cadmus Cilix Phoenix Europa- Jupiter Pygmalion Z>z#<?-Sychaeus Danaus iEgyptus 

j | | j | Danaides-$o Sons 

ve Semele- Polydorus Sarpedon Rhadamanthus Minos . II . . _ , _ . , . 

Jupiter I " Acnsius Le\eus-t asszopeza 

eus i Labdacus Minos-Pasiphae I T . 

Bacchus- I I Danae-J upiter 

Ariadne ™»*J«»tia M g eus-^thra_\ ( V ^ ns . An dromeda 

Jocasta-Z&dxpus Hippolyte-Theseus-Pha?dra Ariadne-Bacchus \ 



rt Polynices Antigone Ismene 



Hippolytus 



Alcaeus Electryon Sthenelus 



i- Clytie Electra- Kvcipuitxyoxi-Alcmene-Jupiter Eurystheus 

Jupiter Teucer Iphicles Admete 

Dardanus-^^ I 1^ US (Eneus-A Ithva 

\V*er y __^ ( 1 

Ir-Penelope-Vlysses Laomedon Capys-Themis Hercules-Deianeira Meleager 

'an Telemachus j Anchises- Venus Hyttus-Iole 

Lavin ia-JEn eas- Creusa 



-ba Hesione-T elamon Tiihonus-A urora ./Eneas Silvia lulus 
Ajax Numitor 



Remus Romulus 
^aris-Helen Cassandra Pohtes Polyxena V>eip\\o\>ws,-Helen 



403 



INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS. 



Addison, 24, 49, 83, 85, 165, 172, 173. 

yEschylus, 246. 

Akenside, 163. 

Apollonius, 126. 

Apollonius Rhodius, 181, 269. 

Arion, 158. 

Aristophanes, 15. 

Arnold, Edwin, in, 112, 114. 

Arnold, Matthew, 74. 

Beaumont and Fletcher, 300. 

Bion, 108, no. 

Boyesen, 97, 137. 

Browning, E. B., 22, 108, 137. 

Bryant, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 153, 172, 

211, 305, 315, 318, 319, 32O, 321, 
323, 324, 325, 326, 328, 329, 336, 

338, 344, 345. 346, 349, 352, 354, 

355, 357, 358, 359- 
Byron, 49, 91, 93, 116. 
Catullus, 226, 255, 257, 259, 306. 
Chapman, 149. 
Coluthus, 308, 312. 
Conington, 41, 51, 64, 142, 193, 202, 

213, 224, 333, 360, 361, 362, 363, 

364, 365, 366, 367, 369, 370, 373, 

376, 377- 
Cornwall, 184. 
Cowper, 131, 156, 308. 
Croxall, 177, 178. 

Darwin, 123, 187, 218, 219, 228, 230. 
Dryden, 35, 37, 44, 70, 161, 168, 169, 

208. 
Elton, 12, 15, 21, 29, 33, 45, 52, 108, 

1 10, 136, 138, 154, 171, 220, 241, 

255, 267, 269, 271, 307/308, 310, 

312, 339. 
Emerson, 297. 

Euripides, 166, 229, 311, 315, 316. 
Eusden, 118. 
Flaccus, 52, 220, 269, 271. 



Fletcher, 



Francklin, 169, 232, 234, 236, 280, 
281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287, 288, 

290, 33 l - 

Frere, 15. 

Goldsmith, 134. 

Gray, 179. 

Hemans, 60, 98. 

H. H. (Helen Hunt Jackson), 73. 

Hesiod, 15, 21, 29, 33, 154, 229, 339. 

Holmes, 330. 

Homer, 23, 39, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 
147, 149, 153, 156, 161, 167, 168, 
172, 211, 292, 297, 305, 315, 318, 
319, 320, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 
328, 329, 336, 338, 344, 345, 346, 

349, 352, 354, 355, 357, 35$, 359- 
Homeric Hymn, 190, 195. 
Horace, 27, 75, 278. 
Hunt, 114, 216, 341. 
Ingelow, 187, 194. 
Iriarte, Tomas de, 372. 
Keats, 67, 90, 98, 105, 119, 120, 134, 

149, 176, 179, 192, 301, 303, 304. 
Landon, 113. 

Longfellow, 27, 88, 99, 107, 206 
Lowell, 23, 64, 79, 131. 
Lucan, 214. 
Macaulay, 130, 279. 
Martinez de la Rosa, 177. 
Melanippides, 73. 
Meleager, 94, 265. 
Meredith, Owen, 72. 
Milton, 79, 144, 163, 238. 
Moore, 16, 71, 72, 193, 278. 
Morris, 97, 100, 101, no, 123, 127, 

128, 151, 183, 194, 235, 248, 252, 

335- 
Moschus, 45, 137. 
Nonnus, 171. 

405 



406 



INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS. 



Onomacritus, 267, 269, 271. 

Orphic Argonautics, 266. 

Orphic Hymn, 188. 

Ovid, 12, 35, 37, 44, 70, 118, 172, 

173. I77> 178, 208, 255, 298, 299. 
Pike, 61. 
Pindar, 17, 168. 
Pitt, 163, 196, 205. 
Pope, 23, 39, 57, 77, 147, 156, 167, 

168, 239, 292, 298, 299. 
Potter, 166, 229, 246, 311, 315, 316. 
Prior, 68, 143, 148, 174, 243, 283. 
Quintus Smyrnseus, 307. 
St. John, 242, 244. 
Saxe, 62, 63, 77, 84, 1 19, 160, 253, 255. 
Schiller, 121, 238. 
Scott, 165. 
S. G. B., 238. 
Shakespeare, 44, 76, 139. 
Shelley, 55, 103, 241. 
Simonides, 241. 
Somerville, 90. 



Sophocles, 169, 232, 
281, 282, 283, 285, 

290, zz\. 

Southey, 91. 
Spenser, 59, 82, 105. 
Statius, 136, 138. 
Swift, 75. 
Tennyson, 59, 80, 105 

339, 359- 

Theocritus, 216, 310, 

Timocreon of Rhodes, 

Virgil, 41, 51, 64, 131 

163, 168, 169, 182, 

205, 213, 224, 333, 

363, 364, 365, 366, 

373. 374, 376, 377- 
Warton, 182. 
Wordsworth, 33, 65, 

295, 316, 317. 
Worsley, 87. 
Young, 202. 



234, 236, 280, 
286, 287, 288, 



, 306, 307, 331, 

341- 
159- 

, 142, 160, 161, 
193, 196, 202, 
360, 361, 362, 
367, 369, 370, 



88, 223, 273, 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Ab-syr'tus. Son of King /Eetes of 
Colchis ; slain by Medea, 271. 

A-by'dus. A city of Asia Minor; 
the home of Leander, m-116. 

A-CH/E'us. Grandson of Hellen, 
and ancestor of the Achaians, 38. 

A-cha'i-ans. Inhabitants of the 
province of Achaia, 38. 

A-CHa'tes. Friend and inseparable 
companion of yEneas, 366, 367. 

Ach-e-lo'us. River in Greece, bear- 
ing the name of its god, 232. 

Ach-e-men'i-des. Ulysses' sailor, 
rescued from 'Polyphemus by 
^Eneas, 365. 

Ach'e-ron. 1. River in Hades, 161 ; 
Ulysses visits, 350; yEneas crosses, 
372. 2. Father of Furies, 163. 

A-chii/les. Son of Peleus and 
Thetis, 314-316; surrenders Bri- 
seis, 318, 319; the Greeks appeal 
to, 323-325; slays Hector, 326- 
329; death, 330; in Happy Isles, 
359; father of Pyrrhus, 361; sig- 
nificance, 394, 395. 

A'cis. Youth loved by Galatea, and 
slain by Polyphemus, 341. 

A-CRis'l-us. King of Argos, and 
father of Danae, 240, 241, 249; 
significance, 390, 391. 

A-crop'o-lis. Hill in Athens, the 
site of the Parthenon and Theseus' 
temple, 262. 

Ac-T/E'on. Hunter changed to a stag 
by Diana, 100, 101. 

Ad me'te. Daughter of Eurystheus, 
covets Hippolyte's girdle, 223. 

Ad-me'tus. King of Thessaly, served 
by Apollo, and saved from death by 
Alcestis, 64, 65 ; Hercules restores 



Alcestis to, 230; one of the Argo- 
nauts, 266; in Caiyaonian Hunt, 
2 75 ; significance, 386. 

A-do'nis. Hunter loved by Venus 
and slain by a boar, 108-110; sig- 
nificance, 195, 389. 

A-dras'tus. King of Argos; his 
horse Arion, 153; father of Hippo- 
damia, 260; sends expedition 
against Thebes, 287. 

/E'a-cus. One of the three judges of 
the dead in Hades, 163. 

JE-JE'a. Island inhabited by Circe 
and visited by Ulysses, 347-350. 

yE-E'TES. King of Colchis, father of 
Medea and Absyrtus, 268, 271 ; 
brother of Circe, 347; significance, 
392. 

tE-ge/an Sea. Delos chained in, 
62; Arion borne by dolphins in, 
82, 83 ; named after vEgeus, 259. 

yE-GE'us. King of Athens; father 
of Theseus, 250, 252, 253; drowns 
himself, 259; significance, 391. 

AL'gis. Shield or breastplate of 
Minerva and Jupiter, 58; loaned to 
Perseus, 243 ; bears Medusa's head, 
249. 

./E-gis'thus. Murderer of Agamem- 
non ; slain by Orestes, 336. 

^Eg'le. One of the Heliades; 
changed to a poplar tree, 87. 

/E-gyp'tus. Brother of Danaus, 166. 

yE-NE'A-D/E. City which yEneas 
proposed to found ?n Thrace, 363. 

yE-NE'AS. Son of Venus and An- 
chises, in; vEneas' descendants, 
140; worship introduced into Italy 
by, 198; hero of Virgil's yEneid, 
36o-377- 



407 



4o8 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



iE-NE'AS Sil'vi-a. Sonof^Eneas; 
founder of Alba Longa, 377. 

^E-ne'id. Virgil's epic poem on the 
adventures of yEneas, 374. 

JE-o'ia-a. 1. Same as ^Eolian Islands. 
2. In Asia Minor, near iEgean Sea, 
214. 

^-c/li-an Islands. The home of 
iEolus, god of the winds, 213, 346; 
supposed to be Lipari Islands, 213. 

^E-o'li-an Race. Descendants of 
yEolus, son of Hellen, 38. 

^E'o-lus. 1. God of the winds, 213- 
215; Juno's bargain with, 266; gift 
to Ulysses, 346; destruction of 
Eneas' fleet, 365 ; significance, 
400. 2. Son of Hellen, founder of 
the iEolian race, 38. 

yEs-cu-LA'pi-us. Son of Apollo and 
Coronis, 63, 64; Machaon, son of, 
331 ; significance, 387. 

^E'son. Father of Jason, 263 ; reju- 
venated by Medea, 273. 

^E'ther. God of light, 13; de- 
throned, 17. 

.^E'thra. Princess of Trcezene, 250 ; 
mother of Theseus, 253 ; Helen in- 
trusted to, 260; significance, 391. 

.^Et'na. Volcano in Sicily, 183; the 
tomb of Enceladus, 24; forge of 
Vulcan, 145, 148, 326; Ceres' visit 
to, 187. 

^E-to'li-a. Country between Epirus 
and Locris, 275. 

Af' ri-ca. Hercules' visit to, 226, 227. 

Afterthought. Name given to 
Epimetheus, 25. 

Ag-a-mem'non. Chief of the expe- 
dition against Troy, 314-319; re- 
turn of, 336 ; troops of, 361 ; signifi- 
cance, 394. 

A-ga've. Mother of Pentheus; in- 
furiated by Bacchus, slays her son, 
182. 

A-ge'nor. Father of Europa, Cad- 
mus, Cilix, Phoenix, 44-47. 

Ag-la'ia. . One of the Graces; an 
attendant of Venus, 105. 

A-i'des. Same as Pluto ; signifi- 
cance, 401. 

A-i-do'neus. Same as Pluto, god of 
the Infernal Regions, 159. 

A'jAX. Greek hero in Trojan war, 
314; Patroclus' corpse recovered 
by, 328; insanity of, 330. 



Ai/ba Lon'ga. City in Italy founded 
by iEneas Silvia, 377. 

Al-ces'tis. Wife of Admetus ; dies 
to save his life, 65 ; restored by 
Hercules, 230. 

Al-ci'des. Same as Hercules, 216; 
lion skin of, 220 ; Deianeira ac- 
companies, 234 ; Deianeira's charm 
for, 236 ; pose of, 239. 

Al-cim'e-de. Queen of Iolcus; 
mother of Jason, 263. 

Al-cin'o-us. Phaeacian king, enables 
Ulysses to reach Ithaca, 355. 

Al-cip'pe. Daughter of Mars; car- 
ried off by Halirrhothius, 139. 

Alc-me'ne. Wife of Jupiter, and 
mother of Hercules, 28, 216; sig- 
nificance, 389. 

A-lec'to. One of the Furies, 163; 
sent by Juno to kindle war between 
^Eneas and the Latins, 373. 

A-lec'try-on. Servant of Mars; 
changed to a cock, 106, 107. 

Al-phe'us. 1. River of Peloponne- 
sus ; dammed to clean Augean 
stable, 221. 2. The river god who 
pursued Arethusa, 190-193. 

Al-th^'a. Mother of Meleager,275, 
276. 

Am-al-the'a. Goat which nursed 
Jupiter, 21. 

Am-a-se'nus. River over which 
Metabus flung Camilla, 373. 

A-ma'ta. Wife of Latinus, 372 ; 
driven mad by Alecto, 373 ; suicide 
of, 376. 

Am'a-zons. Nation of warlike wo- 
men; Hercules visits, 224; Theseus 
visits, 259; Bellerophon visits, 295; 
Queen of the, 329. 

Am-bro'si-A. Celestial food used by 
the gods, 41 ; gods deprived of, 
84. 

Am'mon. Temple of Jupiter in Libya, 
48. 

A'mor. Same as Eros, Cupid, etc.; 
god of love, 13; son of Venus and 
Mars, 107. 

Am-phi'on. Son of Jupiter and An- 
tiope; musician; King of Thebes, 
80-82. 

Am-phi-tri'te. Same as Salacia, 
queen of the sea; wife of Neptune, 
154, 158; train of, 155; significance, 
397- 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



409 



An-chi'ses. Husband of Venus, 1 1 1 ; 
father of yEneas, 360-362 ; proph- 
ecy recalled by, 364; death of, 365 ; 
death anniversary of, 369; .Eneas' 
visit to, 370-372. 

An-ci'le. Shield of Mars, guarded 
by the Salii in Rome, 143. 

An-dr^'mon. Husband of Dryope; 
saw her changed to a tree, 298. 

An-drom'a-che. Wife of Hector; 
parting of Hector and, 321-323; 
grief of, 328 ; captivity of, 365. 

An-drom'e-da. Daughter of Celeus 
and Cassiopeia ; saved by Perseus, 
246-249; significance, 391. 

An-tve'us. Giant son of Gaea; de- 
fender of the p ygmies; slain by Her- 
cules, 227, 228. 

An-te'i-a. Wife of Prcetus ; accuses 
Bellerophon falsely, 291 ; signifi- 
cance, 393. 

An'te-ros. God of passion, 107, 
108; son of Venus and Mars, 140. 

An-tig'o-ne. Daughter of CEdipus 
and Jocasta; buried alive, 285-288 ; 
significance, 393. 

An-tin'o-us. One of Penelope's suit- 
ors ; slain by Ulysses, 358. 

An-tt'o-pe. Wife of Jupiter; mother 
of Amphion and Zethus; perse- 
cuted by Dirce, 80. 

A-pha're-us. Father of Castor's 
murderer, 279. 

Aph-ro-di'te. Same as Venus, Di- 
one, etc., 103, 105; significance, 

399- 
A-poi/lo. Same as Phoebus, Sol, 
and Helios, 61-91 ; god of the sun, 
music, poetry, and medicine, 55 » 
Diana's brother, 93 ; Niobe's sons 
slain by, 94 ; Mars and Venus seen 
by, 106, 107 ; Mercury steals cattle 
of, 132-134; giants slain by; 139; 
walls built by, 151* 152; Marpessa 
claimed by, 155; Vesta loved by, 
iq8 ; Janus, son of, 205 ; oracles of, 
280,281; steed of, 294; Cassandra 
loved by, 310; Chryses appeals to, 
318,319; Ulysses incurs anger of, 
354; significance, 386, 390, 393, 

396, 398. 
Aq'ui-lo. West wind, son of .Eolus 

and Aurora, 213, 215. 
A-rach'ne. Minerva's needlework 

contest with, 58, 59. 
26 



Ar-CA'di-A. Province of Pelopon- 
nesus, 221, 275; Mercury's birth- 
place, 131. 

Ar'cas. Son of Jupiter and Callisto ; 
constellation of the Little Bear, 52. 

A-re-o-pa-gi't^e. Judges of the 
criminal court of Athens, 140. 

A-RE-op'a-gus. Hill near Athens ; 
site of the Parthenon, 140. 

A' res. Same as Mars, 138; signifi- 
cance, 400. 

A-re'te. I. Goddess of virtue; takes 
charge of Hercules, 218-220. 2. 
Wife of Alcinous ; mother of Nau- 
sicaa, 355. 

Ar-e-thu'sa. Nymph of Diana; 
changed to a fountain, 190-193. 

Ar'ges (Sheet-lightning). A Cyclop; 
son of Uranus and Gaea, 18. 

Ar'go. Vessel in which Jason set 
sail in search of the golden fleece, 
266-274; significance, 392. 

Ar-go-nau'tic Expedition in 
search of golden fleece, 154; Zetes 
and Calais in, 215 ; Hercules in, 
230 ; Meleager in, 275 ; significance, 
391, 392. 

Ar'go-nauts. Name given to Jason 
and crew, 267-271 ; significance, 
392. 

Ar'gos. City in Argolis, dedicated 
to Juno, 52-54; Eurystheus, king 
of, 218-220; Acrisius^ king of, 
240, 249 ; Adrastus, king of. 260. 
287; Prcetus, king of, 291; Aga 
memnon's return to, 336; signifi 
cance, 389, 390. 

Ar'gus. I. Name of myriad-eyed 
giant who watched Io, 135-137 
significance, 385. 2. Name of 
Ulysses' faithful hound, 357. 

A-ri-ad'ne. Daughter of Minos : 
Theseus aided by, 256, 257; de 
serted by Theseus, 179, 257; mar 
ries Bacchus, 181 ; significance 

391. 

A-ri'g-N. i. Winged steed; the off- 
spring of Neptune and Ceres, 153 
2. Musician; thrown into the sea 
by pirates, saved by a dolphin 
82, 83. 

Ar-is-T/E'us. Youth who indirectly 
causes Eurydice's death, 76. 

Ar'te-mis. Same as Diana, goddess 
of the moon and the chase, 93, 97. 



4io 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



As-CAL'a-phus. Spirit in Hades who 
saw Proserpina eat pomegranate 
seeds, 195. 

A'si-a Mi'nor. West of Asia; Bac- 
chus' visit to, 176; Vesta's shrine 
in, 198; Thetis' flight from, 326. 

As-kle' pi-OS. Same as /Esculapius ; 
son of Apollo and Coronis, 63. 

As-ty'a-nax. Infant son of Hector 
and Andromache, 321., 

At-a-lan'ta. Maiden who takes 
part in Calydonian Hunt and races 
with Milanion or Hippomenes,275~ 
278 ; significance, 392. 

Ath'a-mas. King of Thebes ; father 
of Phryxus and Helle, 265 ; Ino in 
madness slain by, 174; significance, 

39i- 

A-the'ne. Same as Minerva, 55; 
tutelary goddess of Athens, 57 ; sig- 
nificance, 395. 

A-THE'ni-ans. Inhabitants of Athens, 
215; tribute of, 253, 256; ingrati- 
tude of, 262. 

Ath' ens. Minerva's festivals at, 60 ; 
tribunal at,, 139, 140 ; contest for, 
152; ;Egeus,kingof, 250; Theseus' 
arrival at, 252, 253; Ariadne elopes 
to, 256; Castor and Pollux' visit to, 
260 ; Theseus, king of, 262 ; Peleus, 
king of, 305. 

At'las. 1. Mountains. 2. One of 
Iapetus' sons, 25 ; daughters of, 98 ; 
heavens supported by, 227-229; 
Perseus petrifies, 244-246; signifi- 
cance, 379. 

At'ro-pos. One of the Fates ; cuts 
the thread of life, 165. 

At'ti-ca. Province of Greece; Ce- 
crops founds city in, 57; oppres- 
sion of, 255 ; shores of, 259. 

Au-Ge'as. King of Elis ; his stables 
were cleansed by Hercules, 221-223. 

Au'lis. Port in Bceotia, the meeting- 
place of the Greek expedition against 
Troy, 312, 315. 

Au-ro'ra. Same as Eos, goddess 
of dawn; attendant of Apollo, 85, 
107; jealousy of, 70; Tithonus 
loved by, 90; yEolus' wife, 213. 

Aus'ter. Southwest wind, same as 
Notus ; a son of /Eolus and Aurora, 
215. 

Au-tom'e-don. Achilles' charioteer, 
328. 



Av' en-tine. One of the seven hills 
on which Rome is built, 226. 

A-ver'nus. Lake near Naples ; the 
entrance to Hades in Italy, 160; 
^Eneas' visit to, 370. 

Bab'y-lon. The home of Pyramus 
and Thisbe, 117. 

Bac-cha-na'li-a. Festivals in honor 
of Bacchus, 182. 

Bac-chan'tes. Female followers of 
Bacchus, 176, 182; Orpheus slain 
by, 79, 80. 

Bac'chus. Same as Dionysus, god 
of wine and revelry; son of Tupiter 
and Semele, 1 71-182; Vulcan vis- 
ited by, 147; Ariadne rescued by, 
257; tutor of, 300; gift from, 306. 

Bau'cis. 1. The mortal who showed 
hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury ; 
wife of Philemon, 43,44. 2. Father 
of Dryupe (changed to a tree), 298. 

Bel-ler'o-phon. Demigod; mounts 
Pegasus and slays the dread Chi- 
maera, 291-296; significance, 393, 

394- 

Bel-lo'na. Goddess of war; attend- 
ant of Mars, 138. 

Ber-e-ni'ce. Queen whose hair was 
changed into a comet, 130, 384. 

Ber'o-e. Nurse of Semele, whose 
form Juno assumes to arouse Sem- 
ele's jealousy, 171, 172. 

Bi'tox. Brother of Cleobis; draws 
his mother to the temple, 54. 

Bce-o'ti-a. Province in Greece,whose 
principal city was Thebes, 47, 280. 

Bo're-as. North wind; son of^Eo- 
lus and Aurora ; kidnaps Orithyia, 
213-215 ; sons of, 267. 

Bos'po-rus. Channel connecting 
Black Sea and Sea of Marmora, 
on route of Argonauts, 268. 

Brass Age. Third age of world, 35. 

Bri-a're-us. One of the Centim- 
ani ; son of Uranus and Gaea, 18; 
umpire, 152. 

Bri-se'is. Captive of Achilles during 
Trojan war ; claimed by Agamem- 
non, 318, 319, 324; significance, 394. 

Bron'tes (Thunder). A Cyclop; son 
of Uranus and Gaea, 18. 

Bru'tus. Unborn soul of Roman 
hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 
372. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



411 



Ca'cus. Son of Vulcan, 148; giant 
slain by Hercules on Mount Aven- 
tine, 226; significance, 386. 

Cad'MUS. Brother of Europa; foun- 
der of Thebes, 45-48 ; husband of 
Harmonia, 107; daughter of, 171 ; 
dragon-tooth seed of, 268; signifi- 
cance, 386, 390, 393. 

Ca-du'ce-us. Wand given to Mer- 
cury by Apollo, 134. 

C/e'sar. Unbornsoulof Romanhero, 
seen by Anchises in Hades, 372. 

Cal'a-is. Son of Boreas and Ori- 
thyia, 215. 

Cal'chas. Soothsayer of the Greeks 
during the Trojan war, 315. 

Cal-li'o-pe. One of the nine Muses, 
loved by Apollo, 90; mother of 
Orpheus, 75. 

Cal-lis'to. Maiden loved by Jupiter; 
changed into a bear by Juno; the 
Great Bear, 52. 

Cal'y-don. Home of Meleager ; site 
of Calydonian Hunt, 275. 

Cal-y-do'ni-an Hunt. Organized 
by Meleager to slay a boar ,-275-279. 

Ca-lyp'so. Nymph who detained 
Ulysses on Ogygia seven years, 
354; significance, 395. 

Ca-mii/la. Volscian maiden ; fights, 
and is slain by, /Eneas, 373, 376 ; 
dedicated to Diana, 374. 

Ca-mil'lus. Unborn soul of Roman 
hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 
372. 

Cam'pus Mar'ti-US. Roman exer- 
cising grounds sacred to Mars, 143. 

Can'cer. Crab which attacked Her- 
cules to defend the Hydra ; a con- 
stellation, 221. 

Cap'i-tol. Temple dedicated to 
Jupiter in Rome, 48. 

Car'thage. A city in Africa, built 
by Dido, visited by /Eneas, 367. 

Cas-san'dra. Daughter of Priam ; 
her prophecies, though true, were 
always disbelieved, 310, 364; cap- 
tivity of, 361. 

Cas-si-o-pe'ia. Mother of Androm- 
eda, 246 ; a constellation, 249 ; sig- 
nificance, 391. 

Cas'tor. One of the Dioscuri or 
Gemini, 278, 279 ; rescue of Helen 
by, 260 ; Argonauts joined by, 266 ; 
Calydonian Hunt joined by, 275. 



Cau-ca'si-an Mountains. Same as 
Caucasus ; Prometheus chained to, 
28, 227. 

Ce'crops. Founder of Athens, 57; 
descendants of, 255. 

Ce-l^e'no. One of the Harpies; 
frightens /Eneas by prophesying 
harm, 365. 

Ce'le-us. 1. King of Eleusis ; father 
of Triptolemus, 188. 2. Father of 
Andromeda; significance, 391. 

Cen'taurs. Children of Ixion, half 
man, half horse; Chiron, 218, 263, 
314 5 ; Hercules fights, 221 ; battleof, 
230, 260; Nessus, 234-236; sig- 
nificance, 391, 397. 

Cen-tim'a-ni (Hundred- handed). 
Three sons of Uranus and Gaea, 
17, 18. 

Ceph'a-lus. Hunter loved by Pro- 
cris and Aurora, 70, 71,90; signifi- 
cance, 387. 

Cer'be-rus. Three-headed dog which 
guarded the entrance of Hades, 76, 
77, 160; Hercules captures, 229, 
260; significance, 401. 

Cer'cy-.on. Son of Vulcan, 148 ; en- 
countered by Theseus, 252. 

Ce-re-a'li-a. Festivals in honor of 
Ceres, goddess of agriculture, 196. 

Ce'res. Same as Demeter, god- 
dess of agriculture and civilization, 
J 59> 1 %3- l 97> Cronus disgorges, 
22; Psyche consults, 127, 128; 
■Neptune loves, 153; Pelops' shoul- 
der eaten by, 167; significance, 396, 

397- 

Cer-y-Ne'a. Town of Achaia, 221. 

Cer-y-ne'ian Stag. Stag taken by 
Hercules; one of his labors, 221. 

Ces'tus. Venus' magic, love-inspir- 
ing girdle, 130, 308. 

Ce'yx. King of Thessaly; ship- 
wrecked, and changed with his wife 
Halcyone into birds, 211, 212. 

Cha'os. The first of all divinities, 
who ruled over confusion, 12, 13; 
ejection of, 17; daughter of, 57. 

Char'i-tes. The three Graces ; at- 
tendants of Venus, 105. 

Cha'ron. The boatman who ferries 
the souls over Acheron, 161 ; /Eneas 
ferried by, 372 ; significance, 397. 

Cha-ryb'dis. Whirlpool near the 
coast of Sicily, 352, 353, 365. 



412 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Chi-M^'ra. Monster slain by Bel- 

lerophon, 292-296 ; significance, 

394, 401. 
Chi'o-ne. Daughter of Boreas and 

Orithyia, 215. 
Chi'os. One of the islands of the 

Archipelago, 99. 
Chi'ront. Learned Centaur, 218,263, 

266, 314; death of, 221. 
Chry-se'is. Daughter of Chryses ; 

taken by Agamemnon, 318, 319. 
Chry'ses. Father of Chryseis ; priest 

of Apollo ; brings a plague on the 

Greek camp, 318, 319. 
Ci-co'ni-ans. Inhabitants of Isma- 

rus, visited by Ulysses, 337. 
Ci-lic'i-a. Province in Asia Minor, 

between yFolia and Troas, 47. 
Ci'lix. Brother of Europa; founder 

of Cilicia, 45, 47. 
Cim-me'ri-an Shores. Land visited 

by Ulysses to consult Tiresias, 350. 
ClR'CE. Sister of ^Eetes; sorceress 

who changes Ulysses' men into 

swine, 347-3535 significance, 395, 

396. 
Cle'o-bis. Brother of Biton ; a de- 
voted son, 54. 
Cle-o-pa'tra. Daughter of Boreas 

and Orithyia, 215. 
Cli'o. One of the nine Muses, 88. 
Clo'tho. One of the Fates; she 

spins the thread of life, 165. 
Clym'e-ne. i. Wife of Iapetus; an 

ocean nymph, 25. 2. Nymph loved 

by Apollo; mother of Phaeton, 83, 

87- 

Clytwem-nes'tra. Wife of Aga- 
memnon ; slain by Orestes, 336 ; 
significance, 394. 

Clyt'i-e. Maiden who loves Apollo, 
and is changed into a sunflower, 72. 

Co-CY'TUS. River in Hades, formed 
of tears of the condemned, 160, 
161. 

Cce'us. One of the Titans; son of 
Uranus and Gsea, 17. 

Col'chi-an Land. Ram bears 
Phryxus to, 154; Argonauts arrive 
at, 268; Argonauts depart from, 
269; sailors of, 271. 

Col'chis. Land in Asia ruled by 
^Eetes, where the golden fleece was 
kept, 265, 266; return from, 274. 

Co-LO'nus. Forest sacred to Furies, 



where CEdipus vanished in a storm, 
286. 

Co-los'sus. Statue of Apollo in the 
Island of Rhodes, 91. 

Con-sen'tes. Same as Pan, god of 
the universe and of nature, 300. 

Co'pre-us. Son of Pelops; owner 
of the marvelous horse Arion, 153. 

Co'ra. Same as Proserpina, god- 
dess of vegetation, 183; signifi- 
cance, 396. 

Cor'iinth. City and isthmus be- 
tween Greece proper and the Pelo- 
ponnesus, 152, 158,294; Sisyphus, 
king of, 167, 291; Sciron at, 251; 
Polybus, king of, 280-282, 286. 

Co-ro'na. Constellation, also known 
as Ariadne's Crown, 181. 

Co-ro'nis. Maiden loved by Apol- 
lo; mother of ^Esculapius, 62, 63; 
significance, 386, 389. 

Co'rus. Northwest wind ; son of 
^Eolus and Aurora, 213-2 15. 

Cor-y-ban'tes. Same as Curetes; 
Rhea's priests, 21. 

Cot'tus. One of the Centimani ; 
son of Uranus and Gsea, 18. 

Cre'on. Father of Jocasta and of 
Megara, 219; King of Thebes, 288. 

Cre'tan Bull. Hercules captures, 
223. 

Crete. Island home of Minos, 223, 
253, 256; Menelaus' journey to, 
312; ^Eneas' sojourn in, 364; Zeus, 
king of, 379. 

Cre-u'sa. 1. Wife of iEneas: killed 
in attempting to fly from Troy, 361- 
363. 2. Same as Glauce; maiden 
loved by Jason, 273. 

Cri'us. One of the Titans ; son of 
Uranus and Gaea, 17. 

Cro'NUS. Same as Saturn ; a Titan 
who rules supreme ; father of Jupi- 
ter, 17-23, 25,35; daughters of, 51, 
183, 198; son of, 159. 

Cru'mis-sa. Island where Neptune 
carried Theophane; birthplace of 
the golden-fleeced ram, 154. 

Cu'm^e. Cave where the Sibyl gave 
her prophecies, 370. 

Cu'pid, orCu-Pi'DO. Same as Amor, 
god of love; son of Venus and 
Mars, 107, 140; growth of, 108; 
darts of, 112, 147, 367; Psyche 
and, 121-130, 381. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



413 



Cu-re'tes. Same as Corybantes; 
Rhea's priests, 21. 

Cy'a-ne. River which tried to stop 
Pluto when he kidnapped Proser- 
pina, 186. 

Cyb'e-le. Same as Rhea, goddess 
of the earth, 20; chariot of, 278. 

Cy-clo'pes. Three children of -Ura- 
nus and Ggea, 17, 18; thunderbolts 
forged by, 22, 64, 147; Orion visits 
the, 99; Vulcan and the, 145; Isl- 
and of the, 339; /Eneas warned 
against, 365 ; significance, 385, 398. 

Cy' clops. Polyphemus the, 339- 

345> 3 6 5- 

Cyc'nus. Intimate friend of Phaeton, 
87. 

Cyl-le'ne. Mountain upon which 
Mercury was born, 131, 132. 

Cyn'thi-a. Same as Diana, god- 
dess of the moon and the chase, 

93> 96. 

Cyn'thi-us. Name given to Apollo, 
god of the sun and fine arts, 61. 

Cyp-a-RIs'sus. Friend of Apollo; 
turned to a cypress tree, 67. 

Cy'prus. Island in the Mediterra- 
nean sacred to Venus, 105, 120, 123. 

Cyth-e-re'a. Name given to Ve- 
nus, goddess of beauty, love, and 
laughter, 103. 

D^ed'a-lus. Architect who planned 
the Cretan Labyrinth, 253-255 ; 
inventor of sails, 214. 

Dan'a-e. Maiden visited by Jupiter 
as a golden shower; mother of 
Perseus, 240-242; significance, 379, 

39°> 397- 
Da-na'i-des. Daughters of Danaus, 

who slay their husbands, 166, 167. 
Dan'a-us. King of Argos; father 

of the fifty Danaides, 166. 
Dan'ube. River of Europe ; Medea 

slays Absyrtus near its mouth, 271. 
Daph'ne. Maiden loved by Apollo, 

and changed into a laurel tree, 68- 

70; significance, 387, 389, 395. 
Dar'da-nus. Ancient king of Troy, 

who gives his name to his race, 

364; mares of, 215. 
De-i-a-nei'ra. Wife of Hercules, 

232-236; causes Hercules' death 

by using the Nessus robe, 235, 

236; significance, 390. 



De-iph'o-bus. Son of Priam and 
Hecuba; married Helen after the 
death of Paris, 362. 

De'los. Floating island; birthplace 
of Apollo and Diana, 62 ; shrine of 
Apollo at, 91, 363, 364 ; significance, 
386, 396. 

Del' phi. Shrine of Apollo, famed for 
its oracles, 37, 47, 91 ; Ceyx visits, 
211; CEdipus consults oracle at, 281, 
282, 285, 290; Orestes at, 336. 

Del' uge. Caused by Jupiter's wrath, 
36; slime from, 65. 

De-me'ter. Same as Ceres ; god- 
dess of agriculture, 183, 187; sig- 
nificance, 396. 

De'mi-os (Dread). Attendant or son 
of Mars, 138. 

Des'ti-ny. One of the ancient deities 
not subjected to Jupiter, 39. 

Deu-ca'li-on. Only male survivor 
of Deluge ; father of Hellen, 37, 38. 

Di'a. Maiden loved and deserted by 
Ixion, king of the Lapithse, 169; 
significance, 389. 

Di-a'na. Goddess of the moon and 
chase ; daughter of Jupiter and La- 
tona, 93-101 ; birth of, 62 ; nymphs 
of, 70, 190; arrows of, 139; Are- 
thusa protected by, 192 ; CEneus 
neglects, 275 ; Iphigenia saved by, 
316; temple of, 336; Camilla res- 
cued by, 373, 374; significance, 
388, 396, 398. 

Di'do. Queen of Tyre and Carthage ; 
loved and deserted by /Eneas, 366- 
369; ^Eneas sees, in Hades, 372. 

Di-o-me'des. 1. Greek hero during 
Trojan war, 314; recovers Patro- 
clus' body, 328 ; helps Ulysses 
secure the Palladium, 332. 2. 
The possessor of horses taken by 
Hercules, 223. 

Di-o'ne. 1. Name given to Venus, 
goddess of beauty, love, laughter, 
etc., 103. 2. Mother of Venus by 
Jupiter ; goddess of moisture, 44. 

Di-o-nys'i-a. Festivals held in 
Greece in honor of Bacchus, 182. 

Di-o-nys'us. Same as Bacchus, god 
of wine and revelry, 1 74. 

Di-os-cu'ri. Collective name given 
to Castor and Pollux, 278. 

Di-os-cu'ri-a. Festivals in honor 
of Castor and Pollux, 279. 



4H 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Dir'ce. Wife of Lycus ; bound to a 
bull by Amphion andZethus, 80-82. 

Dis. Same as Pluto, god of Infernal 
Regions, 159, 370. 

Dis-cor'di-a, or Eris. Goddess of 
discord, 138; she appears at Pe- 
leus' marriage feast, 306. 

Do-do'na. Temple and grove sa- 
cred to Jupiter, 48, 49, 266. 

Doi/phin. Constellation, 82. 

Do'ri-an Race. Descendants of 
Dorus, 38. 

Do'ris. Wife of Nereus, 154, 305. 

Do'rus. Son of Hellen ; ancestor of 
Dorian race, 38. 

Dreams. Spirits in cave of Somnus; 
passed out through gates of ivory 
and horn, 210, 211; Mercury, 
leader of, 137. 

Drep'a-num. Land visited by ^Ene- 
as, where Anchises died, 365. 

Dry'a-des. Plant nymphs, supposed 
to watch over vegetation, 297. 

Dry'o-pe. Princess changed into a 
tree, 298-300. 

Duli/ness. Obscure deity put to 
flight by Minerva, 55, 57. 

Earth. ^Ether and Hemera create 
the, 13; divisions of the, 15; realm 
of the, 25; the mother of all, 38; 
oath by the, 172; Antaeus, son of 
the, 228 ; significance, 398. 

E'CHO. Nymph who pined for love 
of Narcissus ; changed to a voice, 
118, 119; answers Cephalus, 71; 
mocks Ariadne, 179. 

Egg. Earth hatched from a mythical, 

E'gypt. Gods take refuge in, 24; 
Io takes refuge in, 136; Menelaus 
and Helen detained in, 336. 

E-lec'tra. Daughter of Agamem- 
non; saves Orestes, 336. 

El-eu-sin'i-a. Festivals at Eleusis, 
in honor of Ceres and Proserpina, 
196. 

E-leu'sis. City in Greece visited 
by Ceres during her search for 
Proserpina, 188, 196. 

E'lis. Province of the Peloponne- 
sus; Alpheus in, 193; Augeas,king 
of, 221 ; significance, 388. 

El-pe'nor. Follower of Ulysses; 
dies in Island of /Esea, 350. 



E-lys'i-an Fields. Abode of the 
blessed in Hades, 161, 163, 169; 
Cleobis and Biton conveyed to, 54; 
Adonis conveyed to, no. 

En-cei/a-dus. Giant defeated by 
Jupiter; buried under Mt. ^Etna,24. 

En-dym'i-on. Youth loved by Di- 
ana, who carries him to a cave on 
Mt. Latmus, 96-98; significance, 
388, 389, 396.^ 

En'na. Plain in Sicily; favorite re- 
sort of Proserpina, 183. 

E-ny'o. Name given to Bellona, 
goddess of war, 138. 

E'os. Name given to Aurora, god- 
dess of dawn, 72, 90; jealousy of, 
70, 71; winds, offspring of, 213. 

Ep'a-phus. Son of Jupiter and Io ; 
' founder of Memphis, 136. 

Eph'e-sus. City in Asia Minor 
sacred to Diana, 101. 

Eph-i-ai/tes. Giant son of Nep- 
tune, 154; brother of Otus ; im- 
prisons Mars, 139; significance, 
400. 

E-pig'o-ni. Sons of the seven chiefs 
who besieged Thebes, 290. 

Ep-i-me'theus (Afterthought). Son 
of Iapetus, 25; husband of Pandora, 

28-34, 37- 

E-pi'rus. Country visited by ^Eneas, 
who meets Andromache there, 365. 

Er'a-to. One of the Muses; daugh- 
ter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 90. 

Er'e-bus. God of darkness, 13; 
marries his mother, Night, 13 ; pro- 
genitor of egg, 1 5-; dethroned, 17. 

E-RId'a-nus. River into which Phae- 
ton fell from the sun chariot, 87; 
Hercules consults nymphs of, 226. 

E-RIn'ny-es. Collective name given 
to the Furies, 163 ; significance, 

393- 

E'ris. Same as Discordia, goddess 
of discord and strife, 138; apple 
cast by, 306. 

Er-i-sich'thon. An unbeliever; 
punished by famine, 197. 

E'ros. Same as Cupid, 107 ; child of 
Light and Day, 13 ; arrows of, 13, 
112; egg produces, 15; causes 
man's creation, 25 man's life given 
by, 27. 

Er-y-man'thus. Place where Her- 
cules slew the wild boar, 221. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



415 



Er-y-the'a. Island home of Gery- 

ones ; visited by Hercules, 226. 
E-te'o-cles. Son of (Edipus and 

Jocasta, 285 ; reigns one year, 287 ; 

slain by his brother, 288. 
E-thi-o'pi-a. Country visited by 

Bacchus, 176. 
E-thi-o'pi-ans. Happy race of 

Africa, south of the river Oceanus; 

visited by the gods, 16. 
Eu-bce'an or Eu-bo'ic Sea. Sea 

where Hercules cast Lichas, 238. 
Eu-m/e'us. Swineherd visited by 

Ulysses on his return to Ithaca, 355, 

357; Ulysses aided by, 358. 
Eu-men'i-des. Collective name given 

to Furies, 163 ; forest sacred to, 

286 ; significance, 393. 
Etj-phros'y-ne. One of the three 

Graces or Charites; attendant of 

Venus, 105. 
Eu-ro'pa. Daughter of Agenor; 

wife of Jupiter, 44-48, 59 ; mother 

of Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sar- 

pedon, 45, 325 ; significance, 386. 
Eu-ro'tas. River near Sparta, where 

Helen bathed, 310. 
Eu'rus. East wind; son of ^Eolus 

and Aurora, 213-215. 
Eu-ry'a-le. One of the three ter- 
rible Gorgons, 242. 
Eu-ry'a-lus. Youth sent with Nisus 

to warn ^Eneas that his son was in 

danger, 374. 
Eu-ry-cle'a. Nurse of Ulysses; 

recognizes him after twenty years' 

absence, 357; Penelope awakened 

by, 358. 

Eu-ryd'i-ce. Wife of Orpheus, who 
seeks her in Hades, 75-80; signifi- 
cance, 387-389. 

Eu-RYl'o-chus. Leader of Ulysses' 
men, 347 ; escaped Circe's spell, 
349; Ulysses' men misled by, 353. 

Eu-ryn'o-me. Wife of Jupiter; 
mother of the Graces, 105. 

Etj-rys'theus. Hercules' taskmas- 
ter; appointed twelve labors, 218- 
229. 

Eu'ry-tus. Iole's father; visited 
twice by Hercules, 235. 

Eu-ter'pe. One of the Muses ; pre- 
sided over music, 88. 

Eux'ine Sea. Same as Pontus 
Euxinus, or the Black Sea, 15. 



E-van'der. King of Tuscans ; ally 
of /Eneas; father of Pallas, 374, 375. 

E-ve'nus. Father of Marpessa; 
drowned himself in river of same 
name, 155 ; Hercules crosses, 234. 

Fa'ma. Attendant of Jupiter, goddess 
of fame, 41. 

Fates. Three sisters ; also known 
as Mcerae or Parcse, 165. 

Fau'na. Wife of Faunus ; a rural 
divinity of the Romans, 301. 

Fau'nus. Rural divinity of the Ro- 
mans ; husband of Fauna, 301. 

Flo'ra. Goddess of flowers, 301, 
303; wife of Zephyrus, 215, 301. 

Flo-ra'li-a. Festivals in May in 
honor of Flora, 301. 

Forethought. Name given to 
Prometheus, 25. 

For-tu'na. 1. Goddess of fortune; 
an attendant of Jupiter, 41. 2. God- 
dess of plenty, 232. 

Fo'rum. Chief place in Rome where 
public matters were discussed, 142. 

Fu'ries. The Eumenides, or aveng- 
ing deities, 163 ; QEdipus punished 
by, 286 ; Orestes pursued by, 336. 

G^'a. Same as Tellus and Terra, 13; 
wife of Uranus, 15 ; reign of, 17; 
conspiracy of, 18; Typhosus created 
by, 23 ; Enceladus created by, 24 ; 
Antaeus, son of, 227; Syrinx pro- 
tected by, 300 j significance, 396. 

Gal-a-te'a. i.. Nymph loved by 
Polyphemus and Acis, 341-343. 2. 
Statue loved by Pygmalion, who 
prays Venus to give it life, 121. 

Gan'Y-mede. Trojan prince carried 
off by Jupiter to act as cup-bearer, 

43- 
Ge. Same as Gaea, Tellus, Terra, the 

Earth, 13. 
Gem'i-ni. Same as Dioscuri ; Castor 

and Pollux, 278. 
Ge-ry'o-nes. Giant whose cattle are 

taken by Hercules, 226; signifi- 
cance, 401. 
Glau'ce. Maiden loved by Jason ; 

slain by Medea, 273 ; significance, 

392. 
Glau'cus. Fisherman changed to a 

sea god, 303, 304; lover of Scylla, 

352, 353- 



416 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Golden Age. First age of the 

ancient world, when all was bliss, 

35 ; Janus' reign, 205. 
Gor'gons. Three sisters, — Euryale, 

Stheno, and Medusa, 242-246; 

^Egis decorated by head of one of, 

58; significance, 401. 
Grac'chi, The. Unborn souls of 

Roman heroes, seen by Anchises in 

Hades, 372. 
Gra'ces. Same as Gratise ; the three 

attendants of Venus, 105. 
Gra-di'vus. Name given to Mars 

when leader of armies, 143. 
GrVE'/E. Three sisters with but one 

eye and tooth among them, 243; 

significance, 391, 401. 
Gra'ti-^e. Same as Graces, or 

Charites; Venus' attendants, 105. 
Great Bear. Constellation formed 

by Callisto, 52. 
Gre'ci-AN. Mythology, 25 ; camp, 

3 2 9- 

Greece. Highest peak in, 37; al- 
phabet introduced into, 48 ; nations 
of, 49; art in, 52 ; Cecrops comes 
to, 57 ; Pelops takes refuge in, 167 ; 
Paris visits, 310; war between Troy 
and, 314; Orestes' return to, 336; 
captives taken to, 361. 

Greek Divinities, 39; Panathensea, 
60 ; fleet, 332. 

Greeks. Departure of, 315 ; plague 
visits, 318 ; defeat of, 323, 324; re- 
turn of, 335 ; Agamemnon, chief 
of, 336; attack Ciconians, 337; 
Polyphemus visited by, 343-346; 
Circe visited by, 347; a civilized 
nation, 380. 

Gy'es. One of the three Centimani ; 
son of Uranus and Gaea, 18. 

Ha'des. The Infernal Region, king- 
dom of Pluto, 159-170; Hercules' 
visit to, 65, 229, 230 ; Orpheus' 
visit to, 76—79 ; Adonis' visit to, 
no; Psyche's visit to, 128; Mer- 
cury conducts souls to, 137, 317; 
Proserpina's visit to, 194, 195; Lara 
conducted to, 203; Theseus' visit 
to, 260; Pollux in, 279; CEdipus 
in, 286; Ulysses' visit to, 350; 
Eneas' visit to, 370. 

H^e'mon. Son of Creon; lover of 
Antigone, 288. 



Hal-cy'o-ne. Wife of Ceyx, King 
of Thessaly, 21 1, 212. 

Hal-irr-ho'thi-us. Son of Nep- 
tune ; slain by Mars, 139. 

Ham-a-dry'a-des, Nymphs who 
lived and died with the trees they 
inhabited, 297, 298. 

Har-mo'ni-a. Daughter of Mars 
and Venus, 107, 140; wife of Cad- 
mus, 48; mother of Semele, 171. 

Har'pies. Monsters, half woman, 
half bird ; banished to Strophades 
Islands, 267; ^Eneas sees, 365; 
significance, 400. 

Heav'en. Creation of, 15; realm of, 
25; Atlas, supporter of, 244} sig- 
nificance, 384., 398. 

He'be. Goddess of youth; cup- 
bearer of the gods, 41 ; wife of 
Hercules, 238. 

He'brus. River in which the Bac- 
chantes cast Orpheus' remains, 80. 

Hec'a-te. Name given to Proser- 
pina as Queen of Hades, 195. 

Hec'tor. Son of Priam ; leader of 
Trojan army, 320-326; slain by 
Achilles, 328; Priam buries, 329; 
shade of, 360 ; widow of, 365. 

Hec'u-ba. Wife of Priam ; mother 
of Paris and Hector, 307, 310 ; 
Hector seen by, 328; captivity of, 
361. 

Hel'en. Daughter of Jupiter and 
Leda; wife of Menelaus; kidnapped 
by Paris, 310-312; kidnapped by 
Theseus, 260; Paris upbraided by, 
320 ; return of, 335 ; ^Eneas wishes 
to slay, 361 ; significance, 394. 

Hel'e-nus. King of Epirus, whose 
slave Andromache became after the 
death of Hector, 365. 

He-li'a-des. Sisters of Phaeton ; 
changed into trees, 87. 

Hel/i-con. Mountain in Greece, 
sacred to Apollo and Muses, 90, 149. 

He'lt-os. Name of Apollo as god of 
the sun, 61, 72; significance, 386, 
388, 395. 

Hei/le. Daughter of Athamas and 
Nephele ; drowned in the Helles- 
pont,265; significance, 391, 392, 397. 

Hel'len. Son of Deucalion; an- 
cestor of the Hellenes, 38. 

Hel-le'nes. Name given to an- 
cient Creeks, 38. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



417 



Hei/les-pont. Name given to the 
strait from Helle, 265 ; Leander 
swims across the, Hi-117. 

He-me'ra (Day). One of the first 
divinities, who rules with ^Ether 
(Light), 13, 17. 

Heph-jES-ti'a. Festivals in honor 
of Hephaestus, or Vulcan, 148. 

He-ph^s'tus. Name given to Vul- 
can, god of the forge, 144; signifi- 
cance, 399. 

He'ra, or He' re. Name given to 
Juno, queen of heaven, and goddess 
of the atmosphere and of marriage, 
51; significance, 385. 

Her'a-cles. Same as Hercules ; son 
of Jupiter and Alcmene, 216. 

He-R/E'um. Town dedicated to the 
service of Juno, 52. 

Her'ctj-LES. Same as Heracles, god 
of all athletic games, 216-239; 
Prometheus delivered by, 28 ; Ha- 
des visited by, 65 ; Hesione de- 
livered by, 152; Centaurs defeated 
by, 260; Argonautic expedition 
joined by, 266, 267 ; arrows of, 330 ; 
apparition of, 331 ; significance, 

379, 3 8 9> 390, 393> 395- 

Her'mes. Same as Mercury, mes- 
senger of the gods, 131 ; signifi- 
cance, 399. 

Her-mi'o-NE. Same as Harmonia; 
daughter of Venus and Mars, 
107. 

He'ro. Maiden loved by Leander, 
who swam the Hellespont to visit 
her, 111-117. 

He-si'o-ne. Daughter of Laomedon ; 
rescued from sea monster by Her- 
cules, 151, 152, 224. 

Hes-pe'ri-a. Ancient name of Italy, 
so called by ^Eneas, 23, 364. 

Hes-per'i-des. Daughters of Hes- 
perus, guardians of golden apples, 
226 ; significance, 390. 

Hes'pe-rus. God of the West; father 
of the Hesperides, 72, 226. 

Hes'ti-a. Same as Vesta, goddess 
of the family hearth, 198; signifi- 
cance, 399. 

Him'e-rus. God of the desire of 
love; attendant in Venus' numer- 
ous train, 106. 

Hip-po-cre'ne. Fountain created 
by Pegasus, 294. 



Hip-PO-DA-MI'a. Wife of Pirithous ; 
almost carried off by the Centaurs, 
260. 

Hip-poi/y-te. Queen of the Ama- 
zons, 223, 224; Theseus' wife, 259. 

Hjp-poi/y-tus. Son of Theseus and 
Hippolyte, 259; loved by Phaedra, 
262. 

Hip-pom'e-nes. Same as Milanion ; 
lover of Atalanta, 278. 

Hope. The good spirit in Pandora's 
box; an ancient deity, 33-35. 

Ho'r/E. Collective name of the sea- 
sons; Venus' attendants, 105. 

Horn Gate. Gate leading from cave 
of Somnus to outer world, 210, 21 1. 

Hours. Attendants of Apollo, 85; 
attendants of Venus, 105. 

Hundred-handed, the. Same as 
Centimani, 18. 

Hup'nos. Same as Somnus, god of 
sleep, 208. 

Hy-a-cin'thus. Youth loved by 
Apollo and Zephyrus ; changed to 
a flower, 67. 

Hy'dra. Monster serpent slain by 
Hercules in the swamp of Lerna, 
220, 221; significance, 400. 

Hy-ge'ia. Daughter of ^sculapius; 
watched over health of man, 64. 

Hy'las. Youth loved by Hercules ; 
stolen by the water nymphs, 267. 

Hy'Men. God of marriage ; attend- 
ant of Venus, 106. 

Hy-met'tus. Mountain in Attica, 90. 

Hyp-er-bo're-an Mountains. The 
mountains separating the land of 
the Hyperboreans from Thrace, 215. 

Hyp-er-bo're-ans. People north of 
Oceanus, a virtuous race, 16. 

Hy-pe'ri-on. The Titan who had 
charge of the sun chariot, 17, 20,22. 

Hyp-erm-nes'tra. Daughter of 
Danaus; saves her husband, 166. 

I-ap'e-tus. One of the Titans; 

father of Prometheus, 17, 25, 229. 
I-A'PIS. Leech consulted by ^Eneas; 

cures ^Eneas with Venus' aid, 376. 
I-a'si-US. Same as Iasion; father of 

Atalanta, 275, 364. 
Ic'a-rus. Son of Daedalus ; fell into 

the Icarian Sea, 253-255. 
I' da. Mountain in Crete, and near 

Troy also, 21, 320. 



4i8 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



I'das. A mortal befriended by Nep- 
tune; elopes with Marpessa, 155. 

Il/i-A. 1. One of the Titanic! es; 
daughter of Uranus and Gaea, 17. 
2. Priestess of Vesta; wife of Mars ; 
mother of Romulus and Remus, 
140, 377. 

Il'I-ad. Homer's epic poem on the 
Trojan war, 318, 321, 329. 

Il/i-UM. Same as Troy whence 
comes the Iliad's name, 317, 360, 

3 6 3> 37°- 
In'a-chus. River god (father of Io), 

134, 136. 

Infernal Regions. Judges in the, 
45 ; Orpheus visits, 76-79 ; Adonis 
visits, 108; Pluto's realm, 159; 
Proserpina's sojourn in, 194; 
^Eneas visits, 370. 

I'no. Same as Leucothea; second 
wife of Athamas ; daughter of 
Cadmus and Harmonia, 174, 265; 
significance, 392. 

I'o. Maiden loved by Jupiter; 
changed into a heifer, 134-137; sig- 
nificance, 385, 396. 

I-Ob'a-TES. King of Lycia; recipi- 
ent of the sealed letter carried by 
Bellerophon, 291-295. 

I-O-la'us. Friend of Hercules; 
helped slay the Hydra, 220. 

I-ol'cus. Kingdom of ^Eson and 
Jason ; usurped by Pelias, 263. 

I'o-le. Maiden loved by Hercules, 
235,236; significance, 390, 392. 

I'on. Grandson of Hellen; ances- 
tor of Ionian race, 38. 

I-o'ni-an Race. Race descended 
from Ion, grandson of Hellen, 

38. 

I-o'ni-an Sea. Sea west of Greece, 
named after Io, 136, 137. 

Iph-i-GE-Ni'a. Daughter of Aga- 
memnon; sacrificed to Diana, 315, 
316; Orestes finds, 336. 

I'ris (the Rainbow). Attendant of 
Juno, 52, 329, 374. 

Iron Age. Fourth and last age pre- 
vious to the Deluge, 36. 

Isles of the Blest. Islands west 
of Oceanus, inhabited by the virtu- 
ous dead, 16, 17; Ulysses searches 
for, 359. 

Is'ma-rus. Town in Thrace, spoiled 
by Ulysses, 337. 



Is-me'ne. Daughter of CEdipus and 
Jocasta, 285 ; dies of grief, 290. 

Isth'mi-an Games. Games held in 
honor of Neptune, at Corinth, 
every four years, 1 58. 

It'a-ly. Saturn retires to, 23; Ce- 
res returns to, 190; Janus, king 
of, 205. 

Ith'a-ca. Ulysses' island kingdom, 
214, 312, 337; Ulysses arrives in 
sight of, 346; Ulysses returns to, 
354, 355 ; Telemachus returns to, 
357; home of Penelope. 

I-U'lus. yFneas' son ; /Eneas saves, 
361 ; Cupid assumes form of, 367 ; 
stag wounded by, 373; brave de- 
fense by, 374. 

Ivory Gate. Gate leading from 
cave of Somnus to outer world, 
210, 211. 

Ix-i'on. Criminal in Tartarus; 
bound to wheel of fire, 77, 169, 
260; significance, 389. 

Ja-nic'u-lum. City on the Tiber, 

founded by Janus, 205. 
Ja'nus. God of all beginnings, of 

entrances, gates, etc., 205-207; 

opening of temple of, 373. 
Ja'nus Quad'ri-fons. A square 

temple dedicated to Janus, 206. 
Ja'son. Son of yEson; captured the 

golden fleece, 263-274; significance, 

392, 393- 
Jo-CAS'ta. Wife of Laius, 280 ; mar- 
ries CEdipus, her son, 285 ; com- 
mits suicide, 286 ; significance, 392, 

393- 

Jove. Same as Jupiter, 39; birth 
of, 20 ; day of, 207 ; Leda courted 
by, 311 ; decree of, 329. 

Ju'no. Birth of, .22; flight of, 24; 
Jupiter's wife, 44; same as Hera, 
51-54; jealousy of, 61, 62, 135- 
137, 171, 172, 174, 203,216; Mars, 
son of, 138; Vulcan, son of, 144; 
Tityus insults, 169; /Eolus, servant 
of, 213; Hercules persecuted by, 
216-218, 219, 224; Jason carries, 
264; Jason aided by, 266, 267; 
contest of Minerva and Venus with, 
306-308 ; Troy destroyed by, 362 ; 
yEneas persecuted by, 364, 365, 369, 
373-375; significance, 385, 389, 
400. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



419 



Ju'pi-ter. Birth of, 20; supremacy 
of, 21; giants defeated by, 22-24; 
kingdom divided by, 25; Prome- 
theus punished by, 28; Mercury, 
messenger of, 31, 134; Deluge 
caused by, 36; same as Jove, 39- 
49; Juno courted by, 5 1 ; Minerva 
borne by, 55; Latona courted by, 
61 ; ^Esculapius slain by, 64; Am- 
phion, son of, 80; Phaeton slain by, 
87; Muses, daughters of, 88; Venus, 
daughter of, 103; Graces, daughters 
of, 105; Venus borrows thunder- 
bolts of, ill: Mercury, son of, 
131; Io courted by, 135, 136; 
Mars, son of, 138; Vulcan, son of, 
144; thunderbolts of, 147, 155 ; Nep- 
tune exiled by, 151; Semele courted 
by, 1 71-174; Ceres, wife of, 183; 
Hercules, son of, 216, 218; games 
in honor of, 230, 239; Hercules 
saved by, 238; Danae courted by, 
240, 241 ; Helen, daughter of, 260, 
31 1 ; Bellerophon punished by, 295 ; 
Thetis loved by, 305, 306; Thetis 
seeks, 319; interference of, 320, 
362, 375; Sarpedon, son of, 325; 
Apollo appeased by, 354; signifi- 
cance, 381, 384, 385, 386, 388, 389, 
390, 394, 396, 398-40O. 

Jus'tice. Same as Themis, 44; 
mother of seasons, 105, 

Ju-tur'na. Sister and charioteer of 
Turnus, 376. 

Ju-ven'tas. Same as Hebe, god- 
dess of youth, 41. 

Ka'kia. Goddess of vice; tries to 
mislead Plercules, 218. 

Lab'y-rinth. A maze in Crete, 
constructed by Daedalus for the 
Minotaur, 253-257. 

Lac-e-d^-mo'ni-a. Province in Pelo- 
ponnesus; capital Sparta, also name 
of Sparta, 312. 

Laoe-d^-mo'ni-ans. Inhabitants of 
Lacedaemonia, or Sparta, 212. 

Lach'e-sis. One of the Fates; 
twists the thread of life, 165. 

La'don. Dragon which guarded 
golden apples of Hesperides, 226. 

La-er'tes. Father of Ulysses, 315, 

. 345; Penelope weaves his shroud, 
357- 



L^s-try-go'ni-ans. Cannibals vis- 
ited by Ulysses, 347, 

La'ius. Father of CEdipus, 280; slain 
by him, 282; significance, 392-394. 

Lam-pe'tia. One of the Heliades, 
Sj; guards the cattle of the sun, 

353, 354- 
La-oc'o-on. Trojan priest; crushed 

to death by two serpents, 333-335. 
La-OD-a-mi'a. Wife of Protesilaus; 

dies of grief, 316, 317. 
La-om'e-don. King of Troy; em- 
ploys Neptune and Apollo to build 

walls, 151, 152; significance, 386. 
Lap'i-th^;. People who dwelt in 

Thessaly and fought the Centaurs, 

230, 260; Ixion, king of, 169; Pi- 

rithous, king of, 259. 
La'ra. Wife of Mercury; mother of 

the two Lares, 203. 
La' RES. Two tutelary divinities of 

ancient Roman households, 203; 

saved by Anchises, 362. 
Lat'in. Names of days in, 207. 
Lat'ins. People of Latinus and 

^Eneas, 377; zEneas fights, 375. 
La-ti'nus. King of Latium, 372; 

welcomes and then wars against 

^Eneas,373,374, 376; iFneas makes 

peace with, 377. 
La'ti-um. Province of Italy, ruled 

by Latinus, 377; yFneas comes to, 

37 2 - 

Lat'mus. Mountain in Asia Minor, 
where Endymion lies asleep, 97; 
significance, 388, 392, 394. 

La-to'na. Same as Leto; wife of 
Jupiter; mother of Apollo and 
Diana, 61,62; boast of, 93; signifi- 
cance, 396. 

Lau'sus. Hero slain by ^Eneas dur- 
ing wars against the Rutules, 376. 

La-vin'i-a. Daughter of Latinus, 
372, 373 ; ^Eneas' second wife, 376, 

377- 

Le-an'der. Youth of Abydus; 
Hero's lover, who swam the Hel- 
lespont, in— 117. 

Le-ar'chus. Son of Athamas and 
Ino; slain by his father, 174. 

Le'da. Mother of Castor and Pol- 
lux, Helen and Clytsemnestra, 31 1; 
significance, 394. 

Le'laps. The tireless hunting dog 
given by Procris to Cephalus, 70. 



420 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Lem'nos. Island in the Grecian 

Archipelago; Vulcan landed there, 

144'; Philoctetes on, 330. 
Ler'na. Marsh where the Hydra 

lay concealed, 220. 
Le'the. River of forgetfulness, 

which separated the Elysian Fields 

from Hades, 161, 163, 208, 210. 
Le'to. Same as Latona; mother of 

Apollo and Diana, 61 ; significance, 

386, 388, 392, 394. 
Leu-co'the-a. Same as Ino, Atha- 

mas' wife; sea goddess, 174; Ulys- 
ses rescued by, 355. 
Li'ber. Same as Bacchus, god of 

wine and revelry, 1 74. 
Lib-er-a'li-a. Festivals in honor of 

Liber, or Bacchus, held in the 

autumn, 182. 
Lib'y-a. Ancient name of Africa ; 

coast upon which yEneas landed, 

48, 366. 
Li'chas. Bearer of the Nessus 

robe; slain by Hercules, 236-238. 
Light. Same as vEther, 13. 
Lip'a-ri Islands. Same as yEolian 

Islands, where Ulysses landed, 213. 
Little Bear., Areas changed into 

the constellation of the, 52. 
Lo'tis. Nymph changed into a 

lotus blossom, 299. 
Lo-toph'a-gi. People whose food 

was the lotus ; the Lotus-eaters, 338. 
Love. Same as Eros, Cupid, etc., 

13; Psyche courted by. 124-127. 
Loves. Attendants of Venus, 148. 
Lower Regions. Visited by ^Eneas, 

372. 
Lu'n^. Same as Diana, 207. 
Lyc'i-a. Land ruled by Iobates, 

who sends Bellerophon to slay the 

Chimsera, 291, 29s. 
Lyc-o-me'des. King of Scyros; 

treacherously slays Theseus, 262; 

shelters Achilles, 314, 315. 
Ly'CUS. Antiope's second husband ; 

slain by AmphionandZethus, 80-82. 
Lyd'i-a. Kingdom of Midas, in Asia 

Minor, 177, 230. 
Lyn'ceus. Husband of Hyperm- 

nestra, who spared his life, 166. 
Lyn'cus. King of Scythia; changed 

into a lynx by Ceres, 196. 
Ly'ra. Orpheus' lute; placed in 

heavens as a constellation, 80. 



Ma-cha'on. Celebrated leech ; son of 
^Esculapius, 64; Philoctetes healed 

by> 331- 

Ma'ia. Goddess of the plains; 
mother of Mercury, 131 ; signifi- 
cance, 399. 

Ma'nes. Tutelary divinities of Ro- 
man households, with the Lares and 
Penates, 203. 

Mar-pes'sa. Daughter of Evenus ; 
marries Idas, 155. 

Mars. Same as Ares; son of Jupi- 
ter and Juno, 52; god of war, 138- 
143; Venus courted by, 106-108; 
day of, 207; descendants 0^377; 
significance, 400. 

Mar'sy-as. I. Shepherd who enters, 
into competiiion with Apollo, J^, 74. 
2. Name of river, 74. 

Mar'ti-us, Cam'pus. Roman exer- 
cising grounds, 143. 

Mat-ro-na'li-a. Festivals in honor 
of Juno, in Rome, 54. 

Me-de'a. Daughter of ^Eetes, 268, 
269; wife of Jason, 271, 273, 274; 
wife of yEgeus, 252, 253; signifi- 
cance, 392. 

Me'di-a. Country in Asia Minor, 
where Medea took refuge, 253. 

Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an. Sea dividing 
world in two, 15. 

Me-du'sa. Gorgon slain by Perseus, 
whose hair was turned into snakes, 
242-249; Neptune marries, 154; 
Pegasus, offspring of, 294; signifi- 
cance, 391. 

Me-g/e'ra. One of the Furies, Eu- 
menides, or Erinnyes, 163. 

Meg'a-ra. First wife of Hercules, 
whose three children he burns in 
his madness, 2 19 ; significance, 390. 

Me-LE-a'ger. Son of CEneus and 
Althaea; leader of Calydonian Hunt, 
275, 276; significance, 392. 

Me'li-an Nymphs. Nymphs who 
nursed Jupiter in infancy, 21. 

Mel-pom'e-ne. One of the Muses; 
presides over tragedy, 88. 

Mem'phis. Town in Egypt, founded 
by Epaphus, 136. 

Men-e-la'us. King of Sparta ; hus- 
band of Helen of Troy, 310-314; 
Paris fights, 320; return of, 335; 
Telemachus visits, 357; signifi- 
cance, 394. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



421 



Men'e-ti-us. One of the four sons 
of Iapetus and Clymene, 25. 

Men'tor. Name assumed by Mi- 
nerva to act as a guide for Telema- 
chus, 357, 358. 

Mer-cu-ra'li-a. Festivals in honor 
of Mercury, the messenger god, 137. 

Mer'cu-RY. Same as Hermes; son 
of Jupiter and Maia, 131-137; Pan- 
dora guided by, 29, 31; Jupiter's 
ally, 43; Adonis guided by, 108; 
Mars delivered by, 139; Bacchus 
guarded by, 1 74 ; Proserpina guided 
by, 195; Lara loved by, 203; day 
of, 207; leader of dreams, 210; 
Perseus helped by, 243; Pan, son 
of, 300; Protesilaus guided by, 317; 
Priam led by, 329; Ulysses aided 
by, 349, 354 ; yEneas aided by, 369; 
significance, 385, 386, 399, 400. 

Mer'o-pe. Daughter of CEnopion; 
promised bride of Orion, 99. 

Met-a-nei'ra. Wife of Celeus, king 
ofEleusis; mother of Triptolemus, 
188. 

Me'tis. Daughter of Oceanus; gives 
a potion to Cronus, 22. 

Me'tus. Attendant of Mars; god 
of war and strife, 138. 

Me-zen'ti-us. Father of Lausus; 
slain by /Eneas, 376. 

Mi'das. King of Lydia, 74, 75; 
changed all he touched to gold, 177— 
179. 

Mi-la'ni-on. Same as Hippome- 
nes; husband of Atalanta, 278. 

Mi'lo. Island where statue of Ve- 
nus was found, 130. 

Mi-ner'va. Same as Athene, god- 
dess of wisdom; daughter of Jupi- 
ter, 55-60 ; man given soul by, 27 ; 
flute of, 73; Vulcan wooes, 147; 
contest of Neptune and, 152; Me- 
dusa punished by, 242; Perseus 
aided by, 243; gift to, 249; Argo 
built by, 266 ; Bellerophon helped 
by, 292 ; Juno and Venus dispute 
with, 306-308; Ulysses aided by, 
3^4-358 ; significance, 395, 396. 

Min-er-va'li-a. Festivals in honor 
of Minerva, in Rome,'6o. 

Mi'nos. 1. King of Crete, 223; 
father of Ariadne and Phaedra, 253, 
256. 2. Son of Jupiter and Europa; 
judge in Hades, 45, 163. 



Min'o-taur. Monster which Minos 
kept in the Labyrinth, 253-257; 
significance, 391, 401. 

Mne-mos'y-ne. A Titanide, 17, 22 ; 
goddess of memory; wife of Ju- 
piter; mother of the Muses, 88. 

Mce'r/e. The Fates, or Parcae, who 
spin, twist, and cut the thread of life, 
165. 

Mor'pheus. Prime minister of 
Somnus, god of sleep, 208, 212. 

Mors. Same as Thanatos, god of 
death, 208-212, 213. 

Mo-sych'lus. Mountain in Lemnos, 
where Vulcan fell from heaven, 
144. 

Mu-sag'e-tes. Apollo's name when 
he led the choir of the Muses, 
88. 

Mu'ses, the Nine. Daughters of 
Jupiier and Mnemosyne, 73-75, 
88-90 ; mount of the, 294: 

My-ce'n/e. Favorite city of Juno, 
with Sparta and Argos, 52; Perseus 
exchanges Argos for, 249. 

Myr'mi-dons. Achilles' followers ; 
led by Patroclus, 324, 325; signifi- 
cance, 395. 

Mys'ter-ies. Religious rites cele- 
brated in honor of the God of 
Wine, 182. 

Myths. Fabulous tales, 378-401. 

Na-i'a-des. Fountain nymphs sub- 
ject to Neptune, 297, 298. 

Na-P/e'/E. Valley nymphs, who 
looked after the flocks also, 297. 

Nar-cis'sus. Youth loved by Echo ; 
enamored with his own image, 118- 
120. 

Nau-sic'a-a. Daughter of Alcinous 
and Arete ; befriends Ulysses, 355. 

Nax'os. Island visited by Theseus 
and Bacchus, 179, 257; significance, 

391. 

Nec'tar. Beverage of the gods, 
poured out by Hebe and Ganymede, 
41, 84. 

Ne'leus. Son of Neptune ; brother 
of Pelias, 154. 

Ne'me-a. ' Forest in Greece, devas- 
tated by a lion slain by Hercules, 
220. 

Ne'me-an Games. Games in honor 
of Jupiter and Hercules, 239. 



422 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Ne'me-an Lion. Monster slain by 
Hercules, 220. 

Nem'e-sis. Goddess of vengeance, 
163; pursues Orestes, 336. 

Ne-op-tol'e-mus. Same as Pyrrhus; 
Achilles' son; slays Priam, 361. 

Neph'e-le. Wife of Athamas; 
mother of Phryxus and Helle, 265 ; 
significance, 391, 397. 

Nep'tune. Same as Poseidon, god 
of the sea, 149-158; son of Cronus, 
22 ; kingdom given to, 25 ; Deluge 
controlled by, 36, 37- horse cre- 
ated by, 57; Delos created by, 62; 
walls built by, 65 ; Mars punished 
by? 139; girl protected by, 197; 
Vesta wooed by, 198 ; Minos pun- 
ished by, 223 ; Pegasus created by, 
244; Hippolytus slain by, 262; 
Thetis wooed by, 305 ; Trojans pun- 
ished by, 332, 333; Polyphemus, 
son of, 339; Ulysses' men slain by, 
354, 355 ; yEneas saved by, 366, 
370; significance, 397, 400. 

Ne-re'i-des. Water nymphs; daugh- 
ters of Nereus and Doris, 153, 155 ; 
significance, 397. 

Ne' re-us. God of the sea; the per- 
sonification of its pleasant aspect, 
154, 226; father of Thetis, 305; 
significance, 397. 

Nes'sus. The Centaur who carries 
Deiaueira across the river; slain by 
Hercules, 234,235; significance, 390. 

Nes'tor. Greek hero during Trojan 
war ; noted for wise counsel, 275, 

3H, 357- 
Ni'ce. Same as Victory; attendant 

of Jupiter, 41. 
Night. Same as Nyx or Nox, 13, 

15, 57, 208. 
Nightmares. Attendants of Som- 

nus, crouching in his cave, 210. 
Nl'o-BE. Daughter of Tantalus, 

whose children are slain by Apollo 

and Diana, 93-96, 167; significance, 

398. 
Ni'sus. Youth who accompanies 

Euryalus to summon yEneas back 

to camp, 374. 
No'man. Name assumed by Ulysses 

to mislead Polyphemus, 343, 344. 
No'tus or Auster. Southwest 

wind; son of /Eolus and Aurora, 

213-215. 



Nox. Same as Nyx, goddess of night ; 

marries Chaos and Erebus, 13. 
Nu'ma PoM-Pii/i-ir Second king 

of Rome ; built Vesta'- temple, 200. 
Nymphs. Nam given to female 

minor divinities, 297. 
Ny-si'a-des. Nymphs who cared 

for Bacchus, and form a constella- 
tion, 174. 
Nyx. Same as Nox, goddess of 

night; mother of Day and Light, 

13, i b , 17, 163. 

O-ce-an'i-des. Daughters of Oce- 
anus; nymphs of the ocean, 25, 
103,303; significance, 397. 

O-CE'a-NUS. I. River surrounding 
the earth, according to ancients, 15, 
16,229. 2. One of the Titans; son 
of Uranus and Gsea, 17, 20, 22, 25, 
149; significance, 397. 

O-CRis'l-A. A slave; wife of Vulcan; 
mother f Servius Tullius, 14S. 

O-dys'seus. Same as Ulysses; hero 
of the Odyssey, 337. 

Od'ys-sey. Epic poem of Homer 
on the adventures of Ulysses, 337. 

CEd'i-pus. Son f Laius and Jocasta; 
King of Thebes, 280-290 ; signifi- 
cance, 392, 393, 394. 

CE'neus. Father of Meleager and 
Deianeira; husband of Althaea, 232, 

275- 

CE-no'ne. Wife of Paris, son of 
Priam, 307, 308 , she dies ' on his 
funeral pyre, 331 ; significance, 394. 

CE-no'pi-on. Father of Merope; 
blinds Orion, 99. 

CE'ta. Mountain on whose sum- 
mit Hercules builds his funeral pyre, 
238. 

O-gyg'i-a. Island where Calypso 
detains Ulysses seven years, 354. 

O-lym'pi-a. City in Elis noted for 
its temple and games, 49, 230, 239. 

O-lym'pi-ad. Time between Olym- 
pian Games; i.e., four years, 49. 

O-lym'pi-an Games. Games insti- 
tuted by Hercules in honor of 
Jupiter, 49, 230. 

O-lym'pus. Mountain north of 
Greece; the abode of the gods, 15, 
17, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 39, 51, 55, 58, 
70, 76, 96, 106, 120, 128, 132, 135, 
153, 171, 240, 297, 373, 375; gods 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



423 



fly from, 24 ; Prometheus visits, 28 ; 
Ganymede transported to, 43 ; Vul- 
can expelled from, 144; Ceres vis- 
its, 194 ; Bellerophon storms, 295 ; 
Thetis visits, 319; significance, 384. 

Om'pha-le. Queen of Lydia; the 
taskmistress of Hercules, 230. 

O-ne-i-co-pom'pus. Name borne by 
Mercury as conductor of dreams, 

131. 137- 
Ops. Same as Cybele; name given 

to Rhea, and also to Ceres, 20. 
O-RE'a-des. Mountain nymphs who 

guided travelers, 297. 
O-REs'tes. Son of Agamemnon and 

Clytsemnestra; friend of Pylades, 

336. 
O-ri'on. Youth loved by Diana, and 

accidentally slain by her, 98-100. 
Or-i-thy'i-a. Wife of Boreas; 

mother of Calais, Zetus, Cleopatra, 

and Chione, 215. 
Or'pheus. Musician; son of Apollo 

and Calliope, 75-80, 266 ; signifi- 
cance, 387, 388. , 
Os'SA. Mountain in Thessaly, upon 

which the Titans piled Pelion, 23. 
O'tus. Giant son of Neptune; slain 

by Diana and Apollo, 139, 154; 

significance, 400. 

Pac-to'lus. River m Asia # Minor 

in which Midas washed, to remove 

his golden plague, 179. 
Pa-l/e'mon. Son of Athamas and 

Ino; changed into sea god, 174. 
Pal-a-me'des. Messenger sent to 

summon Ulysses to war against 

Troy, 312. 
Pal-i-nu'rus. Eneas' pilot; lost at 

sea off Cape Misenum, 370, 372. 
Pal-la' di-um. Statue of Minerva, 

60 ; stolen from Troy by Ulysses 

and Diomedes, 198, 332. 
Pai/las 1. Name given to Minerva 

in Athens, 27, 55, 57. 2. Son of 

Evander; slain by Turnus while 

fighting for ^Eneas, 374, 375. 
Pal'lor. Special attendant of Mars; 

lover of strife, 138. 
Pan. Same as Consentes, god of 

nature and the universe, 74, 127, 

300, 301 ; significance, 400. 
Pan-ath-e-n/e'a. Festivals held in 

honor of Minerva, 60. 



Pan-do'ra. First woman; created 

in heaven, she brings evil into the 

world, 29-35, 37. 
Par'cte. The Fates, or Mcerae; they 

spin the thread of destiny, 165. 
Par'is. Son of Priam and Hecuba, 

307; judgment of, 308; visits Troy, 

308, 310; elopes with Helen, 312; 

duel with Menelaus, 320; in battle, 

323 ; Achilles slain by, 330 ; death 

of, 331 ; significance, 394. 
Par-nas'sus. Mountain in Greece, 

37, 38; sacred to Apollo and the 

Muses, 90. 
Par-the'ni-um. Mountain upon 

which Atalanta was exposed, 275. 
Par'the-non. Temple dedicated to 

Minerva at Athens, 60. 
Pa-tro'clus. Friend of Achilles ; 

slain by Hector, 324-328; signifi- 
cance, 395. 
Peg'a-sus. Steed born from the 

sea foam and the blood of Medusa, 

154, 244; Bellerophon rides, 292- 

296 ; significance, 394, 397. 
Pe'leus. Husband of Thetis ; father 

of Achilles, 266, 275, 305, 314. 
Pe'li-as. Uncle of Jason ; brother 

of Neleus, 1 54 ; usurps the throne of 

rEson, 263-266, 273. 
Pe'li-on. A high mountain in 

Thessaly, piled upon Ossa by the 

giants to reach Olympus, 23, 266. 
Pel-o-pon-ne'sus. The peninsula 

south of Greece, 49, 167. 
Pe'lops. Son of Tantalus ; gave his 

name to the Peloponnesus, 167; 

father of Copreus, 153; significance, 

389- 

Pe-na'tes. Household gods wor- 
shiped in Rome with the Lares, 
203, 204 ; ^Eneas saves the, 362. 

Pe-nel'o-pe. 1. Wife of Ulysses, 
312; suitors of, 357-359; signifi- 
cance, 395. 2. A nymph, the mother 
of Pan, 300. 

Pe-ne'us. 1. River god ; father of 
Daphne ; changes Daphne into a 
laurel. 2. Name of a river in 
Greece, 68. 

Pen-the-si-le'a. Queen of Ama- 
zons ; slain during Trojan war, 329. 

Pen'theus. King of Thebes; re- 
fuses to receive Bacchus, and is 
slain, 181, 182. 



424 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Per-i-phe'tes. Son of Vulcan, 148; 
encountered and slain by Theseus, 

25I- 

Per-seph'o-ne. Same as Proserpina, 
goddess of vegetation, 183, 187, 194. 

Per'seus. Son of Jupiter and Danae; 
slays Medusa, 240-249; signifi- 
cance, 390, 391, 393, 394, 395. 

Pet'a-sus. Name given to the 
winged cap worn by Mercury, 134. 

Ph.^-a'ci-ans. People who dwelt in 
Scheria, and sent Ulysses home, 
355 » significance, 395. 

Ph^e'dra. Daughter of Minos; wife 
of Theseus, 262; significance, 391. 

Pha'e-ton. Son of Apollo and 
Clymene; drives the sun car, and 
is slain, 83-88; significance, 388, 

395- 
Pha-e-tu'sa. Sister of Phaeton; one 

of the Heliades, 8j; Apollo's flocks 

guarded by, 353. 
Phe-re-phat'ta. Name given to 

Persephone, or Proserpina, 183. 
Phid'i-as. Noted Greek sculptor; 

made statues of the gods, 49, 60. 
Phi-le'mon. Husband of Baucis; 

changed into an oak, 43, 44. 
Phil-oc-te'tes. Friend of Hercules; 

receives his arrows, 238, 330, 331. 
Phi-lon'o-e. Daughter of Iobates; 

wife of Bellerophon, 292; signifi- 
cance, 394. 
Phin'e-US. The blind king of Thrace; 

annoyed by the Harpies, 248, 249, 

267. 
Phleg'e-thon. One of the rivers 

of Hades; a river of fire, 161, 163, 

350- 
Pho'bos. One of the attendants of 

Mars, god of war, 138. 
Pho'cis. Province in Greece, bound- 
ed by Doris, Locris, and the Gulf 

of Corinth, 336. 
Phce'be. One of the Titanides, 

17, 20; same as Diana, 93. 
Phce'bus. Name given to Apollo, 

god of the sun and of medicine, 

61,67,90,94,96,318; significance, 

386. 
Phce-nic'i-a. Province in Asia 

Minor, named after Phoenix, 47; 

significance, 386. 
Phce'nix. Brother of Europa, who 

gave his name to Phoenicia, 45, 47. 



Phryx'us. Son of Athamas and 
Nephele; rides on golden-fleeced 
ram to Colchis, 154, 265; signifi- 
cance, 391, 397. 

Pi-re'ne. Fountain near Corinth, 
where Pegasus drinks, 294, 

Pi-rith'o-us. King of the Lapithae; 
friend of Theseus, 259, 260, 275. 

Ple'ia-des. Seven of Diana's 
nymphs; pursued by Orion and 
changed into stars, 98. 

Plu'to. Same as Hades, Dis, Aido- 
neus, etc., 159-170; god of the 
Infernal Regions, 25, 76, 77, 79, 
no, 208, 350; birth of, 22; Proser- 
pina kidnapped by, 183-187; Are- 
thusa sees, 193; Ceres visits, 195; 
Perseus aided by, 243; Theseus 
punished by, 260; significance, 396, 
401. 

Plu'tus, Name given to Pluto 
when invoked as god of wealth, 

159. 

Pod-a-lir'i-us. Son of ^Esculapius; 

skilled in medicine, 64. 
Po-dar'ces. Same as Priam, King 

of Troy; slain by Pyrrhus, 152. 
Po-li'tes. Last of Priam's sons; 

slain at his feet by Pyrrhus, 361. 
Pol'lux. Son of Jupiter and Leda; 

brother of Castor, Helen, and 

Clytaemnestra, 260, 266, 275, 278, 

279- 

Pol'y-bus. King of Corinth; adopted 
CEdipus when forsaken by the ser- 
vant, 280-282. 

Pol-y-dec'tes. King of Seriphus; 
sends Perseus in quest of Medusa, 
242, 249. 

Pol-y-do'rus. Trojan youth, mur- 
dered in Thrace; his grave discov- 
ered by yEneas, 363. 

Pol-y-hym'ni-a. Muse of rhetoric; 
daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 
90. 

Pol-Y-ni'ces. Son of OZdipus, 285 ; 
slain by Eteocles, 287; buried by 
Antigone, 288. 

Pol-y-phe'mus. Giant son of Nep- 
tune, 154; Ulysses visits, 339-346; 
Galatea loved by, 341 ; blinded by 
Ulysses, 344; Achemenides escapes 
from, 365. 

Po-lyx'e-na. Daughter of Priam; 
affianced wife of Achilles, 330. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



425 



Po-MO'na. Goddess of the orchards; 
wife of Vertumnus, 303. 

Pon'tus. Name given to the sea 
when first created, 13, 15. 

Po-sei'don. Same as Neptune, god 
of the sea and of horse trainers, 149. 

Po'thos. God of the amities of love; 
one of the numerous attendants of 
Venus, 106. 

Pri'am. Same as Podarces, 152; 
King of Troy, 307; Paris received 
by, 310; duel witnessed by, 320; 
Hector, son of, 325 ; Hector's 
death seen by, 328 ; Mercury leads, 
329 ; Polyxena, daughter of, 330 ; 
death of, 335, 361. 

Pri-a'pus. God of the shade ; pur- 
sues the nymph Lotis, 299, 301. 

Pro'cris. Wife of Cephalus ; slain 
by his unerring javelin, 70, 71 ; sig- 
nificance, 387, 389. 

Procrus'tes (The Stretcher). En- 
countered and slain by Theseus, 
252. 

Prce'tus. Husband of Anteia, and 
kinsman of Bellerophon, 29J, 292. 

Pro-me'theus (Forethought). Son 
of iapetus ; man created by, 25 ; 
Olympus visited by, 27 ; chained 
to Caucasian Mountains, 28 ; Her- 
cules delivers, 28, 227 ; Deucalion, 
son of, 37 ; significance, 379, 398. 

Pro-ser'pi-na. Same as Proserr^ne 
and Persephone ; goddess of vege- 
tation, 183-197; Orpheus visits, 77; 
Adonis welcomed by, no; Pluto 
kidnaps, 159; emblem of death, 
212; significance, 396. 

Pro-tes-i-la'us. First Greek who 
landed on Trojan coast, 316, 317. 

Pro'teus. Inferior sea divinity ; 
shepherd of the deep, 156 ; Mene- 
laus consults, 336 ; significance, 
381. 

Psy'che. Fair princess loved by 
Cupid ; the emblem of the soul, 
121-130; significance, 381. 

Psy-cho-pom'pus. Name given to 
Mercury as leader, of souls to 
Hades, 131, 137. 

Pyg-ma'li-on. 1. Celebrated sculp- 
tor, who loves a statue, 1 20, 1 2 1 . 2. 
Brother of Dido ; murderer of Sy- 
chaeus, Dido's husband, 366. 

27 



Pyg'mies. Race of small people in 
Africa ; defended by Antaeus, 227, 
228. 

Pyl'a-DES. Son of Strophius ; inti- 
mate friend of Orestes, 336. 

Pyr'a-mus. Faithful lover of Thisbe; 
commits suicide, 117, 118. 

Pyr'rha. Wife of Deucalion ; the 
only woman who survives the Flood, 

37. 38- 

Pyr'rhus. Same as Neoptolemus ; 
son of Achilles, 361. 

Pyth'e-us. Surname given to Apol- 
lo as python slayer, 61, 65. 

Pyth'i-a. Name given to Apollo's 
priestess at Delphi, 91. 

Pyth'i-an Games. Games celebrated 
at Delphi every three years, 91. 

Py'thon. Serpent born of the Del- 
uge slime ; slain by Apollo, 65-67 ; 
significance, 387, 400. 

Quin-qua'tri-a. Festivals in honor 
of the goddess Minerva, 60. 

Quir'i-nal. One of the seven hills 
on which Rome is built, 142. 

Quir-i-na'li-a. Festivals in Rome 
in honor of Quirinus, 142. 

Qui-ri'nus. Name giv-n to Romu- 
lus when deified, 142. 

Re-GIl'lus. Lake in Italy where oc- 
curred the battle in which the Dios- 
curi were supposed to assist, 279. 

Re'mus. Son of Mars and Ilia ; twin 
brother of Romulus, 140-142, 377. 

Rhad-a-man'thus. Son of Jupiter 
and Europa; judge in Hades, 45, 

163. 

Rhe'a. Female Titan ; daughter of 
Uranus and Gaea, 17 ; wife of Cro- 
nus, 18; Jupiter saved by, 20; Cory- 
bantes, priests of, 21 ; Cronus de- 
feated by, 22 ; Juno, daughter of, 
51 ; Pluto, son of, 159 ; Ceres, 
daughter of, 183 ; Vesta, daughter 
of, 198 ; significance, 396. 

Rhodes. Island in the Mediterranean, 
where the Colossus stood, 91. 

Rome. City founded by Romulus ; 
it comprises seven hills, 142. 

Rom'u-lus. Son of Mars and Ilia ; 
founder of Rome, 140, 142, 372, 
377- 



426 



Ru'tu-les. Nation in Italy, gov- 
erned by Turnus, 374, 375. 

Sa-git-ta'ri-us. The constellation 
formed by Chiron, the Centaur 
who taught Hercules, 221. 

Sa-la'ci-a. Same as Amphitrite; 
wife of Neptune, 154. 

Sa'li-i. Priests appointed to watch 
the sacred shields in Rome, 143. 

Sal-mo'neus. King who wished to 
emulate Jupiter, 168. 

Sar-pe'don. Son of Jupiter and 
Europa, 45 ; slain during the Tro- 
jan war, 325. 

Sat' urn, or Cronus. Son of Uranus 
and Gaea, 18 ; father of Jupiter, 20 ; 
Italy ruled by, 23, 35 ; husband of 
Rhea, 25 ; day of, 207. 

Sa'tyrs. Male divinities of the 
woods, half man, half goat, 300. 

Sc/e'an Gate. Gate which led from 
Troy to the plain, 321. 

Sci'ron. Giant encountered by The- 
seus on the Isthmus of Corinth, 
251, 252. 

Scyl'la. Sea nymph changed to 
monster by Circe. She lived under 
rock of same name, 352, 353, 365. 

Scy'ros. Island in the Archipelago, 
the home of Lycomedes, visited by 
Achilles and Theseus, 262. 

Scyth'i-a. Country north of the 
Euxine Sea, 196. 

Seasons, The four daughters of Ju- 
piter and Themis, 105. 

Sec'u-lar Games. Games in honor 
of Pluto every hundred years, 160. 

Se-le'ne. Name given to Diana as 
moon goddess, 93 ; significance, 388, 

389. 
Sem'e-le. Daughter of Cadmus ; 

wife of Jupiter; mother of Bacchus, 

171-174; significance, 397. 
Se-ri'phus. Island where Danae 

and Perseus were cast ashore, 242, 

249. 
Ser'vi-us Tul'li-us. Sixth king of 

Rome ; son of Vulcan and Ocrisia, 

148. 
Ses'tus. City opposite Abydus ; the 

home of Hero, III, 112, 116. 
Seven Wonders of the World, 

49, 9i. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Sheet-lightning. Same as Arges. 
18. 

Sib'yl. Prophetess of Cumae, who 
led /Eneas down to the infernal 
Regions, 370-372. 

Si-Ca'ni-a. Land where Anchises 
died ; visited twice by /Eneas, 365. 

Sic'i-ly. Island home of Polyphe- 
mus ; visited by Arion, 82 ; visited 
by Proserpina, 183; visited by 
Ulysses, 339 ; visited by /Eneas, 

365, 370. 

Si-le'nus. Tutor of Bacchus ; gen- 
erally represented on an ass, 174- 
177, 300. 

Sil-va'nus. God of the woods ; one 
of the lesser Roman divinities, 301. 

Silver Age. Second age of the an- 
cient world, 35. 

Sil'vi-a. Daughter of Latin shep- 
herd ; her stag was wounded by 
lulus, 373. 

Si'nis (The Pine-bender). Giant en- 
countered and slain by Theseus, 251. 

Sl'NON. Greek slave, who advised 
the Trojans to secure the wooden 
horse, 332, 335. 

Sip'y-lus. Mountain where stood 
the statue of Niobe, 94. 

Sj/rens. Maidens who allured mar- 
iners by their wondrous songs, 
35°-35 2 J significance, 397. > 

Sir'i-U3. Favorite dog of Orion ; a 
constellation, 98, 100. 

Sis'y-phus. King condemned to roll 
a rock in Tartarus to the top of a 
steep hill, 77, 167; significance, 389. 

Sol. Name frequently given to 
Apollo as god of the sun, 61. 

Som'nus. God of sleep ; the child 
of Nox, and twin brother of Mors, 
208-212.- 

Spar'ta. Capital of Lacedsemon ; 
favorite city of Juno, 52 ; home of 
Menelaus, 310-312. 

Sphinx. Riddle-giving monster ; 
slain by GEdipus, 283-285; signifi- 
cance, 393, 401. 

Stel'li-o. Urchin changed to lizard 
by Ceres when searching for Pro- 
serpina, 197. 

Stf.r'o-pes (Lightning). One of the 
Cyclopes; son of Uranus and Gasa, 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



427 



Sthe'NO. One of the three Gorgon 

sisters, immortal, like Euryale, 242. 
Stroph'a-des. Islands where the 

Harpies took refuge when driven 

from Thrace, 267; yEneas visits 

the, 364. 
Stro'phi-US. Father of Pylades; 

shelters Orestes, 336. 
Stym-pha'lus. Lake upon whose 

banks Hercules slew the brazen- 
clawed birds, 226. . 
Styx. River in Hades, by whose 

waters the gods swore their most 

sacred oaths, 43, 77, 84, 161, 172; 

Achilles bathed in the, 314. 
Su-a-de'la. One of Venus' train of 

attendants ; god of the soft speech 

of love, 106. 
Sy-ch^/us. King of Tyre; husband 

of Dido ; murdered by Pygmalion, 

366. 
Sym-pleg'a-des. Floating rocks 

safely passed by the Argo, 268. 
Sy'rinx. Nymph loved by Pan, and 

changed into reeds, 300. 301. 

T/en'a-rum, or T^en'a-rus. The 
Greek entrance to Hades on Cim- 
merian coast, 160, 229. 

Ta-la'ri-a. Mercury's winged san- 
dals, given by the gods, 134. 

Ta'lus. Brazen giant; sonofVulcan; 
the watchman of Minos, 256, 257. 

Tan'ta-LUS. Father of Pelops; con- 
demned to hunger and thirst in 
Hades, 77, 93, 167; significance, 

3 8 9, 390. 

Tar'ta-rus. Abyss under the earth, 
where the Titans, etc., were con- 
fined, 17, 18, 22, 25; Orpheus' 
music heard in, 77 ; wicked in, 161- 
169; significance, 385, 391. 

Tau'ris. Country to which Diana 
brought Iphigenia, 316; visited by 
Orestes, 336. 

Tei/a-mon. Husband of Hesione, 
the daughter of Laomedon, 152. 

Te-lem'a-chus. Son of Ulysses 
and Penelope, 312 ; adventures of, 
357,358. 

Tel-E-phas'sa. Wife of Agenor ; 
mother of Europa, 47; significance, 
386. 

Tel'lus. Same as Gsea; name 
given to Rhea, 13. 



Ten'e-dos. Island off the coast of 
Troy, 332, 335. 

Terp-sich'o-re. Muse of dancing'} 
daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosy- 
ne, 88. 

Ter'ra. Same as Gaea, goddess of 
the earth, 13. 

Teu'cer. Ancient king of the Tro- 
jans, 364. 

Tha-li'a. 1. One of the three 
Graces; daughter of Jupiter and 
Eurynome, 105. 2. One of the nine 
Muses; Muse of comedy, 88. 

Than'a-tos. Same as Mors, god of 
death, 208. 

Thebes. Capital of Bceotia; founded 
by Cadmus, 47, 48; Amphion, king 
of, 80-82; Athamas, king of, 174; 
Pentheus, king of, 181; CEdipus, 
king of 280-290. 

The'mis. One of the six female 
Titans, 17,22; goddess of justice, 
44, 105, 107, 163. 

Thk-oph'a-ne. Maiden changed by 
Neptune into a sheep, 153. 

The'seus. Son ot ^Egeus and 
^Ethra; hero of Athens, 179, 250- 
262, 266, 275 ; significance, 391, 393. 

Thes-mo-pho'ri-a. Festivals in 
Greece in honor of Ceres, 196. 

Thes'sa-ly. A province of Greece, 
311 ; fight of the gods in, 23; Ad- 
metus, king of, 64; Ceyx, king of, 
211 ; iEson, king of, 263, 273; Pro- 
tesilaus of, 316. 

The'tis. 1. Mother of Achilles, 314; 
a sea nymph, 20. 2. One of the Ti- 
tauides, 17; marriage feast of, 305, 
306; Olympus visited by, 319, 
Achilles comforted by, 325 ; Achilles' 
armor brought by, 326-328; Achil- 
les instructed by, 329. 

This' be. Babylonian maiden loved 
by Py ramus, 1 1 7, 1 18. 

Thrace. Country on the Black Sea ; 
the home of Mars, 138, 223, 267, 
363 ; significance, 400. 

Thyr'sus. The vine-encircled wand 
borne by the followers of Bacchus, 
182. 

Ti ' ber. River in Italy, 200, 202, 205 ; 
^Eneas sails up the, 363, 372, 374. 

Ti-re'si-as. The blind seer visited 
by Ulysses on the Cimmerian 
shore, 350, 353. 



428 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Ti-SIPH'o-NE. One of the three 
Furies, or Eumenides, 163, 165, 174. 

Ti-tan'i-des. The six daughters 
of Uranus and Gsea, 1 7. 

Ti'tans. Name given to the six 
sons of Uranus and Gsea, 17, 18; 
revolt of, 22, 23, 25 ; significance, 
398. 

Ti-tho'nus. Trojan prince who 
visited Aurora, 90. 

Tit'y-us. Giant in Tartarus, whose 
prostrate body covered nine acres, 
169. 

Tra-chin'i-a. Land where Her- 
cules died, 216. 

Tri-na'cri-a. Land visited by 
Ulysses, whose men slay the cat- 
tle of the sun, 353, 354. 

Trip-toi/e-mus. Nursling and pro- 
tege of Ceres, 188, 196. 

Tri'ton. Son of Neptune and Am- 
phitrite; father of the Tritons, 154, 
303 ; significance, 397. 

Trce-ZE'ne. Ancient city in Argo- 
lis, 152; birthplace of Theseus, 250, 
251; significance, 391. 

Tro'jans. Inhabitants of Trov,3l6- 
335, 360-376. 

Troy. City of Asia Minor, ruled by 
Laomedon and Priam ; war of, 305- 

33 6 - 
Tuc'ci-A. Vestal virgin who stood 

the test of purity, 200. 
Tur/nus. Chief of the Rutules ; 

wars against yEneas, 372-377. 
Tus'cans. People of Tuscania in 

Italy, governed by Evander ; allies 

of ^Eneas, 374, 375. 
Tyn-da're-us. Stepfather of Helen ; 

binds her suitors by oath, 311. 
Ty-phce'us. Same as Typhon ; 

monster sent to dethrone Jupiter, 

23, 24. 
Tyre. City in Phoenicia, governed 

by Sychaeus and Dido, 366. 

U-LYS'SES. Same as Odysseus, hero 
of the Odyssey; King of Ithaca, 
214, 312, 315, 330, 332 ; adventures 
of > 337-359; significance, 386, 395. 

U-RA'NI-A. Muse of astronomy; 



daughter of Jupiter and Mnemos- 
yne, 88, 90. 
U'ra-nus (Heaven). Husband of 
Gaea, created by her, 15, 17, 18; 
significance, 385. 

Ve'nus. Same as Aphrodite, god- 
dess of beauty, 103-130; day of, 
207; Hippomenes aided by, 278; 
Juno and Minerva dispute with, 
306-308; Paris advised by, 310, 
312; Paris saved by, 320; ^Eneas, 
son of, 360, 362, 366, 367, 370, 372, 
376; significance, 389. 

Ver-tum'nus. Godof the orchards ; 
loved by Pomona, 303. 

Ves'ta. Same as Hestia, goddess 
of fire and of the family hearth, 
198-204 ; birth of, 22 ; significance, 

399- 

Ves-ta'li-a. Festivals in honor of 
Vesta, held in Rome, 202. 

Ves'tals. Virgins dedicated to the 
service of Vesta, 200-202, 377. 

Vic-to'ri-a. Same as Nice, god- 
dess of victory, 41. 

Voi/scians. Tribe in Italy who join 
the Rutules against ^Eneas, 373, 

374, 376. 

Vul'can. Same as Hephaestus, god 
of the forge, 144-148; Jupiter's 
head cleft by, 55 ; Venus, wife of, 
106, 107; armor made by, 326, 
374; significance, 399. 

Vul-ca-na'li-a. Festivals celebrated 
in honor of Vulcan, 148. 

Zeph'y-rus. God of the south 
wind; son of ^Eolus and Aurora, 
213; Hyacinthus slain by, 67; Ve- 
nus conducted by, 105; Psyche 
saved by, 122, 128; Flora, wife of, 
301. 

Ze'tes. Son of Boreas and Orithyia ; 
took part in Argonautic expedition, 
and drove away Harpies, 215. 

Ze'thus. Twin brother of Amphion; 
son of Jupiter and Antiope, 80-82. 

Zeus. Same as Jupiter; father of 

• the gods, 39; significance, 379, 385, 
388, 395- 



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